|
2012 -- S 2332 | |
|
======= | |
|
LC01164 | |
|
======= | |
|
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
|
| |
|
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
|
| |
|
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2012 | |
|
| |
|
____________ | |
|
| |
|
A N A C T | |
|
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- PASSING, USING OF LANES, AND | |
|
RULES OF THE ROAD | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Introduced By: Senators Tassoni, and Sosnowski | |
|
Date Introduced: February 07, 2012 | |
|
Referred To: Senate Judiciary | |
|
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
|
1-1 |
SECTION 1. Section 31-15-12.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-15 entitled "Passing, |
|
1-2 |
Use of Lanes, and Rules of the Road" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
|
1-3 |
31-15-12.1. Entering intersections. -- (a) The driver of a motor vehicle shall not enter an |
|
1-4 |
intersection whether or not any traffic signal is green unless there is sufficient space in the |
|
1-5 |
roadway he or she is about to enter beyond the intersection to receive his or her vehicle without |
|
1-6 |
blocking the intersection. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in section 31- |
|
1-7 |
41.1-4. |
|
1-8 |
(b) When bodily injury of any person other than the operator of any motor vehicle is |
|
1-9 |
caused by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined two hundred |
|
1-10 |
dollars ($200). When serious bodily injury of any person other than the operator of any motor |
|
1-11 |
vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined |
|
1-12 |
five hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of three |
|
1-13 |
(3) months. When the death of any person other than the operator of any motor vehicle is caused |
|
1-14 |
by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined one thousand dollars |
|
1-15 |
($1,000) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of one year. |
|
1-16 |
(c) As used in this section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a |
|
1-17 |
substantial risk of death or causes serious physical disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment |
|
1-18 |
of the function of any bodily member or organ. |
|
2-19 |
SECTION 2. Sections 31-17-1, 31-17-2, 31-17-4, 31-17-7 and 31-17-8 of the General |
|
2-20 |
Laws in Chapter 31-17 entitled "Right-of-Way" are hereby amended to read as follows: |
|
2-21 |
31-17-1. Right-of-way in absence of signs or signals. -- (a) The driver of a vehicle |
|
2-22 |
approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle which has entered the |
|
2-23 |
intersection from a different highway. |
|
2-24 |
(b) When two vehicles enter an intersection from different highways at approximately |
|
2-25 |
the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on |
|
2-26 |
the right. |
|
2-27 |
(c) The right-of-way rules declared in subsections (a) and (b) of this section are modified |
|
2-28 |
at through highways and otherwise as stated in this chapter. |
|
2-29 |
(d) Violations of this section are subject to the fines enumerated in section 31-41.1-4. |
|
2-30 |
(e) When bodily injury of any person other than the operator of any motor vehicle is |
|
2-31 |
caused by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined two hundred |
|
2-32 |
dollars ($200). When serious bodily injury of any person other than the operator of any motor |
|
2-33 |
vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined |
|
2-34 |
five hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of three |
|
2-35 |
(3) months. When the death of any person other than the operator of any motor vehicle is caused |
|
2-36 |
by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined one thousand dollars |
|
2-37 |
($1,000) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of one year. |
|
2-38 |
(f) As used in this section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a |
|
2-39 |
substantial risk of death or causes serious physical disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment |
|
2-40 |
of the function of any bodily member or organ. |
|
2-41 |
31-17-2. Vehicle turning left or right. -- (a) The driver of a vehicle within an |
|
2-42 |
intersection intended to turn to the left or right shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle |
|
2-43 |
approaching from the opposite direction which is within the intersection or so close to it as to |
|
2-44 |
constitute an immediate hazard, or shall yield to a pedestrian intending to cross within a |
|
2-45 |
crosswalk which the driver of the vehicle must travel to make the left or right turn. The driver, |
|
2-46 |
having so yielded and having given a signal when and as required by chapter 16 of this title, may |
|
2-47 |
make the left or right turn, and the drivers of all other vehicles approaching the intersection from |
|
2-48 |
the opposite direction shall yield the right of way to the vehicle making the left or right turn. |
|
2-49 |
Violations of this section are subject to the fines enumerated in section 31-41.1-4. |
|
2-50 |
(b) When bodily injury of any person other than the operator of any motor vehicle is |
|
2-51 |
caused by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined two hundred |
|
2-52 |
dollars ($200). When serious bodily injury of any person other than the operator of any motor |
|
2-53 |
vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined |
|
3-1 |
five hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of three |
|
3-2 |
(3) months. When the death of any person other than the operator of any motor vehicle is caused |
|
3-3 |
by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined one thousand dollars |
|
3-4 |
($1,000) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of one year. |
|
3-5 |
(c) As used in this section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a |
|
3-6 |
substantial risk of death or causes serious physical disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment |
|
3-7 |
of the function of any bodily member or organ. |
|
3-8 |
31-17-4. Vehicle entering stop or yield intersection. -- (a) Preferential right-of-way at |
|
3-9 |
an intersection may be indicated by stop signs or yield signs. |
|
3-10 |
(b) Except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic-control signal, every |
|
3-11 |
driver of a vehicle approaching a stop intersection indicated by a stop sign shall stop at a clearly |
|
3-12 |
marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, |
|
3-13 |
or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of |
|
3-14 |
approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering the intersection. After having |
|
3-15 |
stopped, the driver shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian intending to cross the lane of |
|
3-16 |
traffic in a crosswalk or any vehicle which has entered the intersection from another highway or |
|
3-17 |
which is approaching so closely on the highway as to constitute an immediate hazard during the |
|
3-18 |
time when the driver is moving across or within the intersection. |
|
3-19 |
(c) The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign shall, in obedience to the sign, slow |
|
3-20 |
down to a speed reasonable for the existing conditions and, if required for safety to stop, shall |
|
3-21 |
stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of |
|
3-22 |
the intersection, or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver |
|
3-23 |
has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway. After slowing or stopping, the |
|
3-24 |
driver shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian intending to cross the lane of traffic in a |
|
3-25 |
crosswalk or any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another highway so closely as to |
|
3-26 |
constitute an immediate hazard during the time the driver is moving across or within the |
|
3-27 |
intersection. |
|
3-28 |
(d) Violations of this section are subject to the fines enumerated in section 31-41.1-4. |
|
3-29 |
(e) When bodily injury of any person other than the operator of any motor vehicle is |
|
3-30 |
caused by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined two hundred |
|
3-31 |
dollars ($200). When serious bodily injury of any person other than the operator of any motor |
|
3-32 |
vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined |
|
3-33 |
five hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of three |
|
3-34 |
(3) months. When the death of any person other than the operator of any motor vehicle is caused |
|
4-1 |
by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined one thousand dollars |
|
4-2 |
($1,000) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of one year. |
|
4-3 |
(f) As used in this section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a |
|
4-4 |
substantial risk of death or causes serious physical disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment |
|
4-5 |
of the function of any bodily member or organ. |
|
4-6 |
31-17-7. Right-of-way of fire companies. -- The officers and men and women of the fire |
|
4-7 |
department, of any fire engine or hose company, or of any protective department or company |
|
4-8 |
duly chartered and organized under the laws of this state for the protection of property from fire |
|
4-9 |
in any city or town, with their registered fire apparatus, shall have the right of way while going to |
|
4-10 |
a fire or upon any alarm of fire, while responding to an emergency call; when on duty at any fire, |
|
4-11 |
in, upon, or through any street, highway, lane, avenue, or alley in the city or town; and when |
|
4-12 |
exiting or entering a fire station, garage or other department facility. Every person in or upon or |
|
4-13 |
owning any vehicle, or upon the street, highway, lane, avenue, or alley, who shall willfully or |
|
4-14 |
maliciously refuse the right of way to, or shall in any way willfully or maliciously obstruct or |
|
4-15 |
retard any registered fire apparatus of the fire department, fire company, protective department, or |
|
4-16 |
company, or any of the officers or men and women, while going to a fire or upon any alarm of |
|
4-17 |
fire, while responding to an emergency call, or while on duty at any fire, in, upon, or through the |
|
4-18 |
street, highway, lane, avenue, or alley, or when exiting or entering a fire station, garage or other |
|
4-19 |
department facility shall be fined not exceeding |
|
4-20 |
($200). However, the rights pursuant to this section of the protective department or company shall |
|
4-21 |
be subject, at all times, to the rights pursuant to this section of the fire department, fire engine |
|
4-22 |
company, and hose company. |
|
4-23 |
31-17-8. Right-of-way at rotary. -- (a) In the absence of any traffic control device or |
|
4-24 |
sign, the driver of a vehicle about to enter a rotary, regardless of the direction from which the |
|
4-25 |
vehicle is approaching, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles already in the rotary. The state |
|
4-26 |
traffic commission shall determine the location of yield signs at rotaries. Violations of this section |
|
4-27 |
are subject to fines enumerated in section 31-41.1-4. |
|
4-28 |
(b) When bodily injury of any person other than the operator of any motor vehicle is |
|
4-29 |
caused by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined two hundred |
|
4-30 |
dollars ($200). When serious bodily injury of any person other than the operator of any motor |
|
4-31 |
vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined |
|
4-32 |
five hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of three |
|
4-33 |
(3) months. When the death of any person other than the operator of any motor vehicle is caused |
|
4-34 |
by violation of this section, the person so operating the vehicle shall be fined one thousand dollars |
|
5-1 |
($1,000) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of one year. |
|
5-2 |
(c) As used in this section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a |
|
5-3 |
substantial risk of death or causes serious physical disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment |
|
5-4 |
of the function of any bodily member or organ. |
|
5-5 |
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
|
| |
|
======= | |
|
LC01164 | |
|
======== | |
|
EXPLANATION | |
|
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
|
OF | |
|
A N A C T | |
|
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- PASSING, USING OF LANES, AND | |
|
RULES OF THE ROAD | |
|
*** | |
|
6-1 |
This act would create additional penalties for certain motor vehicle violations at |
|
6-2 |
intersections and rights-of-way. |
|
6-3 |
This act would take effect upon passage. |
|
| |
|
======= | |
|
LC01164 | |
|
======= |