Maine · Handbook chapter 3 · 5 min read

Chapter 3: Ready to drive: fatigue, distraction, alcohol and drugs

Maine's rules and advice on vision, hearing, drowsy and distracted driving, the under-18 phone ban, aggressive driving, how alcohol and drugs impair you, the OUI law, implied consent, penalties, the open container law and young drivers.

Why this chapter matters

Maine's OUI law is one of the toughest in the country, and the written test puts special weight on it. Distracted driving is also a named topic on the exam. Key figures: 0.08, any amount under 21, one year, 150 days, 48 hours, up to six years, three types of distraction.

Vision, hearing and fatigue

You must see clearly, judge distance, see to the sides and see well at night. Have your eyes checked every year or two, and never wear sunglasses or tinted lenses at night. Hearing warns you of horns, sirens and vehicles in your blind spot, so keep the radio down and do not wear headsets or earbuds.

Fatigue slows your decisions and reactions. You cannot fight off sleep with caffeine, loud music or an open window, and "micro-sleeps" of four to five seconds can happen without your noticing. To stay alert:

• Get plenty of sleep before a trip and avoid driving between midnight and 6 a.m.
• Take a break every two hours or 100 miles, with a 15 to 20-minute nap if you feel tired.
• Warning signs include heavy eyelids, constant yawning, drifting out of your lane and not remembering the last few miles. Even one means you should pull off and rest.

Distractions

Anything that pulls your attention or your hands away from the driving task is a distraction. There are three types:

• Visual: looking away from the road (billboards, crash scenes).
• Manual: taking a hand off the wheel or controls (eating, tuning the radio, programming a GPS).
• Cognitive: thoughts and feelings such as anger or worry that pull your attention away.

Most crashes involve two or all three. Glances at mirrors or gauges should last less than one second. Set up your phone, navigation, food and grooming before you leave. A driver under 18 may not use a mobile telephone or handheld electronic device at all while driving. It is also illegal for any driver to read printed material while driving (a map or written directions is allowed).

Aggressive driving and emotions

Speeding, tailgating, unsafe lane changes, not signaling and ignoring traffic controls are all aggressive driving. If you are angry, upset or worried, cool off first, leave early or let someone else drive.

How alcohol and drugs affect you

Alcohol and other drugs play a part in about 40% of fatal crashes. Alcohol is a depressant. It harms judgment, vision (vision is affected at .02 for all drivers), color perception and reaction time, and it makes you feel more confident than you are. Your eyes recover from headlight glare more slowly after drinking.

• A 12 oz. beer, a 1 oz. shot of 100 proof liquor and a 4 oz. glass of wine hold about the same alcohol.
• Only time sobers you up. Coffee, cold showers and exercise do not.
• Over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines and many prescription drugs can impair you. Taking a legal drug is no defense in court. Mixing alcohol and drugs is especially dangerous.

Maine's OUI law

The administrative suspension stands even if you are later found not guilty, and an officer's testimony alone can support a conviction. Drivers in a crash where someone dies or is likely to die must take a chemical test. A vehicle can be seized after certain OUI arrests. An OUI conviction is a criminal record, and the manual estimates the cost of one at more than $7,000.

Open containers

The driver breaks the law if the driver or a passenger in the passenger area drinks alcohol or has an open container. Exceptions include a container behind the last upright seat in a vehicle with no trunk, passengers in a hired vehicle other than a taxi, and the living quarters of a motor home.

Young drivers

It is illegal to buy, drink or transport alcohol under 21 (transport is allowed only for work or at a parent's request). Under Maine's OUI laws, every license held by someone under 21 is provisional and can be suspended at once.