2020 -- H 7542

========

LC004443

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - RIGHT-OF-WAY

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Canario, Edwards, Bennett, Diaz, and McLaughlin

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2020

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     (State Police)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1

     SECTION 1. Section 31-17-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-17 entitled "Right-of-

2

Way" is hereby amended to read as follows:

3

     31-17-5. Entering from private road or driveway. Entering from or onto a private

4

road or driveway.

5

     (a) The driver of a vehicle about to enter or cross a highway from a private road or

6

driveway shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on the highway and to all

7

pedestrians attempting to cross the private road driveway or highway. Violations of this section

8

are subject to the fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.

9

     (b) The driver of a vehicle about to enter a private road or driveway from a highway shall

10

yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on the highway and to all pedestrians

11

attempting to cross the private road, driveway or highway. Violations of this section are subject to

12

the fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4, unless the violation results in bodily injury, serious bodily

13

injury or death to any person, other than the offending operator under this section. When bodily

14

injury of any person, other than the offending operator of any motor vehicle, is caused by

15

violation of this section, the offending operator shall be fined two hundred dollars ($200). When

16

serious bodily injury of any person, other than the offending operator of any motor vehicle, is

17

caused by violation of this section, the offending operator shall be fined five hundred dollars

18

($500) and his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of three (3) months. When the

19

death of any person, other than the offending operator of any motor vehicle, is caused by

 

1

violation of this section, the offending operator shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000) and

2

his/her driver's license shall be suspended for a period of one year.

3

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

4

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

5

of the function of any bodily member or organ.

6

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC004443

========

 

LC004443 - Page 2 of 3

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - RIGHT-OF-WAY

***

1

     This act would make it a traffic offense for a motorist to fail to yield the right-of-way

2

when leaving a public roadway to enter or cross a private road or driveway.

3

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC004443

========

 

LC004443 - Page 3 of 3