Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Farther north,
Route 6
is a good easterly byway from Lincoln to
Vanceboro on the border.
Most state routes in Maine are well marked and engineered. Route signs
and distances are provided at most major intersections.
It's The Law
While Maine has pretty much the standard list of motor vehicle
laws, some are different than other states. These include:
Seat belt use is mandatory for everyone in a vehicle. If minor
children up to age 19 are unsecured, the adult driver can be
charged. Car seats must be used for infants and small children
up to age four.
Headlights must be on when a vehicle's windshield wipers are
in use.
Motorists must stop and grant right of way to pedestrians in a
marked crosswalk (wide white or yellow bands painted on the
street).
The blood alcohol level at which a driver is legally intoxicated
in Maine is .08. For those under age 21, the limit is .02. The pen-
alty for being over this limit is a minimum of two days in jail, a
$750 fine and loss of license for 180 days. Sheriff's departments
and state police regularly conduct safety roadblocks to look for
drunk drivers.
The fine for passing a stopped school bus, from any direction,
when its red lights are flashing, is $250.
Dirt Roads
Much of interior Maine is accessible only by private gravel roads main-
tained by paper companies. Some of them, such as the Golden Road
which runs west and north from Millinocket, and the Stud Mill Road in
Eastern Maine, are broad, straight and smooth. While visitors are
allowed on these roads, logging trucks have the right of way.
Logging trucks are big, fast, and can come up
on you quickly. Also, dirt roads can be sur-
prisingly slippery after a rain. Moose and
downed trees may lurk around the next cor-
ner.
