2021 -- H 5093

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LC000158

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- PASSING, USE OF LANES, AND

RULES OF THE ROAD

     

     Introduced By: Representative Joseph M. McNamara

     Date Introduced: January 22, 2021

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 31-15 of the General Laws entitled "Passing, Use of Lanes, and Rules

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of the Road" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     31-15-20. Unsafe passing of a vulnerable road user.

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     (a) For purposes of this section, vulnerable road user means:

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     (1) A pedestrian;

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     (2) A bicyclist;

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     (3) A police officer or emergency worker on duty when outside of a vehicle;

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     (4) A highway worker performing duties outside of a vehicle;

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     (5) A person riding on or driving a wheelchair, motorized or not;

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     (6) A person using a skateboard, inline skate, or roller skates;

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     (7) A person riding on or driving an animal;

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     (8) A person riding on a scooter.

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     (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of the general or public laws to the contrary, any

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person, while operating a motor vehicle on a street or highway, who fails to exercise due care to

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avoid colliding with a vulnerable road user, causing injury, serious injury, or death to the vulnerable

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road user, shall be guilty of an offense pursuant to this section and shall be sentenced, in addition

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to any other applicable criminal or civil statute, as follows:

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     (1) When bodily injury of a vulnerable road user is caused by a violation of this section,

 

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the offending operator shall be fined two hundred dollars ($200).

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     (2) When serious bodily injury of a vulnerable road user is caused by a violation of this

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section, the offending operator shall be fined five hundred dollars ($500), and his or her driver’s

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license shall be suspended for a period of three (3) months.

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     (3) When the death of a vulnerable road user is caused by a violation of this section, the

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offending operator shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000) and his or her driver’s license shall

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be suspended for a period of one year.

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     (c) As used in this section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a

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substantial risk of death or causes serious physical disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment

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of the function of any bodily member or organ.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- PASSING, USE OF LANES, AND

RULES OF THE ROAD

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     This act would provide for specific fines and sanctions to operators of motor vehicles who

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fail to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a vulnerable road user causing injury, serious injury,

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or death to the vulnerable road user.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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