An Act To Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1520
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: USHER, HATCH, COLLINS
Amends: 29-A MRSA §555, 29-A MRSA §1909-A, 29-A MRSA §1925, 29-A MRSA §1954, 29-A MRSA §2052, 29-A MRSA §2054, 29-A MRSA §2067, 29-A MRSA §2074, 29-A MRSA §22, 29-A MRSA §2251, 29-A MRSA §2358

Legislative Document 
No. 1520 
H.P.l113 
House of Representatives, April 7, 2003 
An Act To Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws 
Submitted by the Department of Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative USHER of Westbrook. 
Cosponsored by Senator HATCH of Somerset and 
'7r/~/J1.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: COLLINS of Wells, McKENNEY of Cumberland. 
Printed on n:cy<:1ed JlOIlCr 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §555, sub-§2-B, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 
507, §1, is amended to read: 
2-B. 
Participation in federal pilot proqram; 
temporary 
exemptions from hours-of-service requlations. 
The bSlRFRissisReF 
SE-PRB*ie-SaEety-sha** bureau may grant temporary exemptions from 
the 
weekly 
restrictions 
in 
the 
intrastate 
hours-of-service 
regulations for the transportation of home heating oil during the 
winter 
months 
for 
the 
purpose 
of 
enabling intrastate motor 
carriers conducting such operations to do so under terms and 
conditions identical to those used in the Pilot Program for 
Drivers Delivering Home 
Heating Oil published in the Federal 
Register Vol. 
66, 
No. 
135. 
Rules 
adopted pursuant to this 
subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter Il-A 2-A. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §1909-A is enacted to read: 
§1909-A. 
Fog lights 
1. 
Fog lights. 
A motor vehicle may be equipped with 2 fog 
lights upon the front of the motor vehicle that emit amber or 
white light as long as the rays from the lights do not shine more 
than 2 feet above the road at a distance of 30 feet. 
A fog light 
mounted higher than the center of the main headlights may not be 
illuminated while a motor vehicle is being operated on a public 
way. 
Sec.3. 29-A MRSA §1925 is enacted to read: 
§1925. 
Power booster system 
1. 
Definition. 
As used in this section, unless the context 
otherwise 
indicates, 
the 
following 
terms 
have 
the 
following 
meanings. 
A. 
"Power booster system" means a device installed in a 
motor vehicle that allows nitrous oxide to combine with 
gasoline for the purpose of increasing engine power. 
2. 
Use prohibited. 
Except as provided in subsection 3, a 
person may not operate a motor vehicle that is equipped with a 
power booster system on a public way. 
3. 
Exceptions. 
A person 
may 
operate 
a 
motor 
vehicle 
equipped with a power booster system on a public way if the motor 
vehicle is en route to or from a track where the motor vehicle is 
used for racing and: 
Page l-LRI875(1) 
A. 
The 
pOwer 
booster 
system 
is 
made 
inoperative 
by 
disconnecting the line feeding nitrous oxide to the engine: 
Q..r. 
B. 
All containers of nitrous oxide have been removed from 
the motor vehicle. 
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §1954 is enacted to read: 
§1954. 
Dump body su,pport 
1. 
Equippent. 
A truck with a dump bod,y must be equipped, 
with 
a 
positive 
means 
of 
support, 
permanently attached 
and 
capable of being locked, in position to prevent lowering of the 
body while being maintained" 
inspected or repaired, or while the 
truck is unattend,ed,. 
2. 
Required. 
A truck 
dump 
body must be either fully 
lowered" 
locked by means of equipment required, in subsection 1 or 
physically 
blocked 
from 
lowering 
while 
being 
maintained, 
inspected or repaired or while the truck is unattend,ed,. 
3. 
Penalty. 
A person who violates this section commits a 
Class E crime. 
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §2052, sub-§8 is enacted to read: 
8. 
Breakdown lanes. 
The operator of a vehicle may not 
overtake another vehicle on a limited,-access way by d,riving on 
the shoulder or in the breakdown lane located, on the right or the 
left of the travel lanes. 
Sec. 6. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§2, 1(E, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is repealed. 
Sec. 7. 29-A MRSA §2067, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1997, c. 
653, §9, is further amended to read: 
2. 
DiDminq. 
When 
a vehicle equipped with multiple-beam 
road lights approaches an oncoming vehicle within 500 feet or 
follows a vehicle within 300 feet, the operator shall dim the 
headlights or switch to a low beam and shall turn off a fog 
e~ 
aHHilia~y light allowed by section aQ§47-~~~~~~r-paFa§Faph 
~ 1909-A, unless the fog light 
e~--auK-i-l-.i~-y--],.i§ht was installed 
by 
the 
vehicle 
manufacturer 
at 
the 
time 
the 
vehicle 
was 
originally manufactured. 
Sec. 8. 29-A MRSA §2074, sub-§3-C is enacted to read: 
3-C. 
Child safety seat; fine doubled. 
The penalty for 
exceeding the maximum rate of speed by 20 or more miles per hour 
when a passenger in the vehicle is reguired to be transported in 
a child safety seat pursuant to section 2081, subsection 2 is 
twice the amount of the fine designated in accordance with Title 
4, 
section 164, subsection 12 for 
a 
speeding violation under 
section 2073 involving a similar excessive rate of speed. 
Sec. 9. 29-A MRSA §22S1, sub-§3, 1rA, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §S, is amended to read: 
A. 
Shall prepare and supply forms for reports and approve 
the format for the submission of electronic reports that 
require sufficiently detailed information to disclose the 
cause, conditions, persons and vehicles involved; 
Sec. 10. 29-A MRSA §2251, sub-§4, 1JB, as amended by PL 1997, 
c. 178, §3, is further amended to read: 
B. 
Within S days 
from the time of notification of the 
accident, 
transmit an electronic or the original written 
report containing all available information to the Chief of 
the State Police. 
Sec. 11. 29-A MRSA §2358, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §S, is amended to read: 
5. 
Seals. 
When examination requires the breaking of a seal 
previously placed on a vehicle, a new seal must be placed on it. 
The officer shall make a complete record and forward it to the 
Chief of the State Police. 
A - 6 e a.;J, - Sf'l--a.--t.-£ ~.Jc- -biwi~ -an-~ 
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e!O'el!;eB-r 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the motor vehicle statutes as follows: 
1. 
It changes an incorrect reference from the Commissioner 
of Public Safety to the Bureau of State Police in regard to 
rule-making authority; 
2. 
It clarifies the provisions regarding fog lights; 
3. 
It defines a "power booster system" and prohibits its 
use on the highway: 
so 
4. 
It makes it mandatory that the dump body of a dump truck 
either be lowered to the down position or locked or blocked in 
the up position when the dump truck is being repaired or when it 
is unattended; 
5. 
It prohibits a motor vehicle operator from passing in 
the breakdown lane or on the shoulder of a limited-access highway; 
6. 
It doubles the normal fine for speeding 20 or more miles 
over the maximum speed limit if a passenger in the vehicle is 
required to be transported in a passenger safety seat; 
7. 
It allows for the submission of motor vehicle accident 
forms to the Chief of the State Police via electronic format; and 
8. 
It repeals the prohibition against breaking the seal on 
a refrigerated load.