Hanging Your Mask On Your Rear View Mirror? You Might Get Fined
Drivers have hung things from their car's rear-view pretty much since a rear-view mirror was attached to a car's windshield. Fuzzy dice, pine tree air fresheners, graduation tassels, the list goes on and on. In 2020, a new item is being hung from mirrors by drivers thanks to COVID-19 and it has police and the Maine Secretary of State's office concerned.
According to Maine statute, it is illegal to hang anything in your car that obstructs your view. The specific language in Title 29-A, §2082 of Maine statue reads, "A person may not operate a motor vehicle with an object placed or hung in or on the vehicle, other than the required or provided equipment of the vehicle, in a manner that obstructs or interferes with the view of the operator through the windshield or prevents the operator from having a clear and full view of the road and conditions of traffic."
Let's be honest. Hanging your mask from your mirror puts a decent sized blind spot in your view through the windshield. It may be convenient and easy to grab when you're getting out of the car to go shopping for groceries, but you're putting yourself at risk of an accident and police are noticing.
If you are stopped, hopefully an officer will give you a friendly reminder and ask you to take the mask off your mirror, but you could face a fine of a minimum of $150.
Your best bet is to find another place to store your mask while you're driving. The glove compartment, center console or even in a cup holder. It's much safer for you and others to keep it there rather than dangling in your field of vision.