DRIVERS, INSURERS FACE NEW LAWS:

Maine insurers and drivers woke up on Sept. 1 with new laws to follow.

Insurance companies can no longer “steer” accounts to favored body shops. The law now says they can’t imply to customers who have claims in auto crashes that they must have repairs done at designated shops.

For car owners, a new law makes failure to register a motor vehicle within 30 days of moving to Maine a traffic violation with a maximum fine of $50, which goes up after 150 days. On the roadways, a new law makes it illegal to pass a vehicle when the road is painted with an unbroken center line or solid double lines. A third drunken driving offense is upgraded to a Class C crime, meaning violators face fines exceeding $1,000. Motorists who jazz up their rides with lights should note a new law that restricts auxiliary lighting on cars. Lights must be white if they’re on the front of the vehicle, amber if on the side and amber or red if in the rear.