2020 -- S 2689

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LC004552

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

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A N   A C T

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

     

     Introduced By: Senators Lombardo, Archambault, Lombardi, and Nesselbush

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2020

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Rhode Island State Police)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

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Way" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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

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road or driveway.

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

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

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

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the fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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section, the offending operator shall be fined two hundred dollars ($200). When serious bodily

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

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of this section, the offending operator shall be fined five hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's

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license shall be suspended for a period of three (3) months. When the death of any person, other

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than the offending operator of any motor vehicle, is caused by violation of this section, the

 

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

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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, causes serious physical disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of

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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 - RIGHT-OF-WAY

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

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

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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