National Teen Driver Safety Week runs October 18 to 24, 2026, which makes it a good week for Maine parents to have three specific conversations with a new driver: phones, passengers, and night driving.
Those topics matter because federal safety officials list distraction, extra passengers, speeding, impaired driving, unbuckled seat belts, and drowsy driving among the biggest risks for teen drivers. They also call traffic crashes a leading cause of death for teens ages 15 to 18 (NHTSA).
The danger reaches beyond the driver. In 2024, 752 of the 2,320 people killed in U.S. crashes involving a teen driver were the teen behind the wheel, and another 478 were passengers in the teen’s vehicle (NHTSA). In Maine, the Bureau of Highway Safety found that drivers ages 16 to 20 were involved in about 10% of the state’s fatal crashes from 2019 to 2023. (Maine Bureau of Highway Safety).
This guide explains what Maine law already requires of new drivers, gives you conversation starters for each topic, and covers what to do if your teen is ever in a crash.
Maine’s Rules for New Teen Drivers: In Plain English
Maine uses a graduated driver license for drivers under 18. This means that new drivers earn full privileges in steps, gaining experience under lower-risk conditions first (Maine BMV).
| Stage | What Maine requires |
| Learner’s permit (under 21) | Hold the permit for six months before a road test. Log 70 hours of driving, at least 10 of them after dark. No cellphone use while driving. |
| Intermediate license (under 18) | For the first 270 days: generally, no passengers other than immediate family unless a qualifying adult rides along (or another exception applies); no driving from midnight to 5 a.m., and no cellphone use. |
| Provisional license (under 21) | For two years after a first license, a conviction for a moving violation likely results in a license suspension. |
Two terms are worth defining:
- Immediate family member: a parent, stepparent, grandparent, step-grandparent, spouse, child, stepchild, brother, sister, stepbrother, or stepsister.
- Qualifying adult: a licensed driver at least 20 years old who has held a proper license for at least two years and sits seat-belted beside the teen up front (Maine BMV).
Breaking these rules has consequences. A conviction can extend the restrictions by another 270 days and result in a 60-day license suspension for a first violation, 180 days for a second, and one year for a third or subsequent violation. The extended restrictions may continue beyond the driver’s 18th birthday. (Maine BMV). The BMV also states that drivers under 18 may not use a cellphone or handheld electronic device while driving.
A teen’s license details are printed on it, and the BMV can confirm them. Start the conversations below with these rules, so you back up the law AND help your teen driver stay safe.
Conversation 1: Phones
Settle the phone rule before your teen gets the keys. Maine law prohibits drivers under 18 from using a cellphone or handheld electronic device while driving, and that covers talking, not just texting (Maine BMV). Treat hands-free calls as off limits too, and use the rule as a shared family agreement.
Conversation starters
- “What do you think can go wrong in the three seconds it takes to read a text?”
- “What will you say when a friend texts and expects an answer right away?”
- “Where will your phone stay during a drive?”
- “If I text or call you while you might be driving, what do you want me to do?”
- “Who sets the music and the directions before we pull out?”
What to agree on
- Keep the phone out of reach (a bag, the glovebox, or the back seat) and turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving.
- Set directions and music before the car moves.
- A passenger handles anything that cannot wait.
- You will not call or text your teen when they are likely behind the wheel.
Set the example. Your teen has watched you drive for years. Maine also limits drivers of every age to hands-free phone use, so you should follow one rule you set.
Conversation 2: Passengers
For the first 270 days on an intermediate license, a Maine teen may carry only immediate family members unless a qualifying adult rides along. The reason is well documented. AAA Foundation research found that a 16- or 17-year-old driver’s risk of dying in a crash, per mile driven, rises 44% with one passenger under 21, doubles with two, and quadruples with three or more. Carrying a passenger aged 35 or older cuts that risk by 62% (AAA Foundation).
The 270 days end, but the risk does not. Consider keeping your own passenger limit for the first several months after the legal restriction lifts.
Conversation starters
- “Who do you think will ask you for rides, and what will you tell them?”
- “What will you do if a friend in the car is loud, distracting, or pushing you to go faster?”
- “Would it help if you could say, ‘My parents will take my license if I break the rule’?”
- “If you ever feel unsafe riding with another driver, how will you get home?”
What to agree on
- Who is allowed in the car, and how many, even after the legal restriction ends.
- A no-questions ride home: your teen calls you, and you come.
- Passengers wear seat belts before the car moves.
- Your teen can blame you. “My parents check” is an easy way out of peer pressure.
Conversation 3: Night Driving
Maine’s intermediate license bars driving from midnight to 5 a.m., but the danger starts well before midnight. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that 35% of teen driving fatalities in 2024 happened between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., and 53% between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m. (IIHS). The CDC adds that the nighttime fatal crash rate for drivers 16 to 19 is about three times the rate for drivers 30 to 59, per mile driven (CDC).
Maine adds its own factors this time of year:
- Early darkness. Clocks fall back in November, and in southern Maine, sunset arrives around 4:30 p.m. A team practice or work shift that ends at 6 p.m. is now a night drive.
- Wildlife. Deer and moose are most active at dusk and dawn in the fall, and many Maine roads have long stretches without streetlights.
- Ice. The first frosty mornings and icy stretches arrive before many new drivers have seen them.
The learner’s permit already builds in some night practice: at least 10 of the 70 required hours must be after dark. Use those hours on rural roads and in bad weather, with you in the passenger seat.
Conversation starters
- “What time will you be home, and what is your plan if things run late?”
- “How will you know you are too tired to drive?”
- “What will you do if you see a deer or moose near the road?”
- “What is your plan if the road looks icy?”
- “What would make you call me for a ride?”
What to agree on
- A curfew earlier than the legal one while your teen is new.
- Text or call when they arrive, after the car is parked.
- No driving when tired, and no shame in calling for a ride.
Three More Talks Worth Having
The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety reports that 51% of teens killed in Maine crashes were speeding and 40% of the teen drivers killed were not wearing a seat belt (Maine Bureau of Highway Safety). Those numbers point to three more conversations.
- Seat belts. Everyone buckles before the car moves, every trip, including short ones.
- Speed. Ask your teen what speed they are comfortable with on back roads, in rain and on ice, and why the posted limit is a maximum and not a target.
- Impaired and drowsy driving. Maine law attaches license consequences to any alcohol in the system of a driver under 21. Tell your teen plainly that they can call you for a ride, for themselves or for a friend who has been drinking, and that you will come first and talk later. The same goes for driving while exhausted.
Put the Rules in Writing
A written agreement turns a conversation into something you can both point to. AAA publishes a Maine-specific Parent-Teen Driving Agreement that builds Maine’s licensing rules into a signed contract, including consequences. Whatever format you use, cover the phone, passengers, curfew, seat belts, speed, and what happens when a rule is broken.
Practice in real Maine conditions. Inexperience is a major reason new drivers crash, so use the permit period well. Drive with your teen in rain, fog, snow, and on ice, on the highway and on dark back roads, and let them ask questions as they go. Talk through what they would do after a crash, before it ever happens.
If Your Teen Is in a Crash in Maine
Talk through this before it happens, so your teen is not working it out with shaking hands.
- Check for injuries and call 911. Move the car out of traffic only if it is safe, and turn on the hazard lights.
- Exchange information. Maine law requires a driver to stop and give the other driver their name, address, and registration number, and, on request, show a license and proof of insurance (29-A M.R.S. §§ 2252 & 2253).
- Know when a report is required. Maine law requires a crash to be reported immediately if it occurs on a public road or another place where public traffic may reasonably be expected and results in injury, death, or apparent property damage of $2,000 or more (29-A M.R.S. § 2251).
- Take photos and get witness names. Do it at the scene if it is safe.
- Stick to facts. Stick to the facts. Avoid speculating about who caused the crash or guessing what happened before knowing. Cooperate with law enforcement and provide truthful information.
- Get checked by a doctor. If your teen is injured or has pain, headaches, or other symptoms, seek prompt medical attention. Some injuries may not become apparent immediately after a collision.
- Call a parent before talking to any insurance company. Speak with a parent or guardian and consider consulting an attorney. Be truthful when reporting what happened, but do not guess about facts you do not know. Your own insurer may require prompt notice and cooperation under your insurance policy.
Two Maine rules shape what comes next. Maine is an at-fault state, so the driver who caused a crash is generally responsible for the resulting damage. Maine also follows a modified comparative negligence rule: an injured person generally cannot recover damages if they are equally or more at fault than the other responsible parties, but if their fault is less than 50%, they may still recover reduced compensation based on their share of responsibility.
Maine’s general deadline to file an injury lawsuit is six years, but some claims have shorter deadlines, and a few have much shorter ones depending on who is responsible. Special rules can also apply when the injured person is a minor. Do not assume you have time, and ask early.
Frequently Asked Questions
What restrictions apply to new teen drivers in Maine?
For the first 270 days of an intermediate license, drivers under 18 cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m. or carry passengers other than qualifying family members unless accompanied by an eligible licensed adult. Phone use is prohibited. Violations can result in extended restrictions and license suspension.
Can teen drivers use cellphones in Maine?
No. Maine prohibits drivers under 18 and all learner’s permit holders from using cellphones or handheld electronic devices while driving.
What should my teen do after a car accident?
Check for injuries, call 911 when necessary, exchange information, and document the scene if safe. Seek medical attention for injuries or concerning symptoms, and consult a parent or guardian before giving an insurance company a recorded statement.
Key Takeaways
- Maine’s graduated license limits new drivers under 18 on passengers, nighttime hours, and phone use for their first 270 days.
- Have three conversations before the keys change hands: phones, passengers, and night driving.
- Your teen’s risk rises with each young passenger, and it rises after dark.
- Put the rules in writing, and practice in real Maine conditions.
- Rehearse what to do after a crash, including seeing a doctor even when they feel fine.
Talk With a Maine Injury Attorney
Hardy, Wolf & Downing has represented injured Mainers since 1976 from offices in Portland and Lewiston. If your family has been affected by a crash involving a teen driver, you can talk through your options with an attorney by calling or by using our free case evaluation form. Asking a question costs nothing.
