Chapter 414
2013 -- S 0350 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 07/15/13
A N A C T
RELATING TO
MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- PASSING, USING OF LANES, AND RULES OF THE ROAD
Introduced By: Senator Michael J. McCaffrey
Date Introduced: February 13, 2013
It is enacted by the
General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 31-15-12.1 of the General Laws in Chapter
31-15 entitled "Passing,
Use of Lanes,
and Rules of the Road" is hereby amended to read as follows:
31-15-12.1.
Entering intersections. -- (a) The driver of a motor vehicle shall not enter an
intersection whether or not any traffic signal is green unless
there is sufficient space in the
roadway he or she is about to enter beyond the intersection
to receive his or her vehicle without
blocking the intersection. Violations of this section are
subject to fines enumerated in section 31-
41.1-4, unless bodily injury, serious bodily injury
or death occurs to any person other than the
offending operator under this section.
(b) When bodily
injury of any person other than the offending operator of any motor
vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the offending
operator shall be fined two hundred
dollars ($200). When serious bodily injury of any person
other than the offending operator of any
motor vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the
offending operator shall be fined five
hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's license shall be
suspended for a period of three (3)
months. When the death of any person other than the
offending operator of any motor vehicle is
caused by violation of this section, the offending operator
shall be fined one thousand dollars
($1,000) and his/her driver's license shall be
suspended for a period of one year.
(c) As used in this
section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a
substantial risk of death or causes serious physical
disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment
of the function of any bodily member or organ.
SECTION
2. Sections 31-17-1, 31-17-2, 31-17-4, 31-17-7 and 31-17-8 of the
General
Laws in Chapter 31-17
entitled "Right-of-Way" are hereby amended to read as follows:
31-17-1.
Right-of-way in absence of signs or signals. --
(a) The driver of a vehicle
approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to a
vehicle which has entered the
intersection from a different highway.
(b) When two vehicles
enter an intersection from different highways at approximately
the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left
shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on
the right.
(c) The right-of-way
rules declared in subsections (a) and (b) of this section are modified
at through highways and otherwise as stated in this
chapter.
(d) Violations of this
section are subject to the fines enumerated in section 31-41.1-4,
unless bodily injury, serious bodily injury or death occurs
to any person other than the offending
operator under this section.
(e) When bodily
injury of any person other than the offending operator of any motor
vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the offending
operator shall be fined two hundred
dollars ($200). When serious bodily injury of any person
other than the offending operator of any
motor vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the
offending operator shall be fined five
hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's license shall be
suspended for a period of three (3)
months. When the death of any person other than the
offending operator of any motor vehicle is
caused by violation of this section, the offending operator
shall be fined one thousand dollars
($1,000) and his/her driver's license shall be
suspended for a period of one year.
(f) As used in this
section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a
substantial risk of death or causes serious physical
disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment
of the function of any bodily member or organ.
31-17-2. Vehicle
turning left or right. -- (a) The
driver of a vehicle within an
intersection intended to turn to the left or right shall yield the
right-of-way to any vehicle
approaching from the opposite direction which is within the
intersection or so close to it as to
constitute an immediate hazard, or shall yield to a pedestrian
intending to cross within a
crosswalk which the driver of the vehicle must travel to make
the left or right turn. The driver,
having so yielded and having given a signal when and as
required by chapter 16 of this title, may
make the left or right turn, and the drivers of all other
vehicles approaching the intersection from
the opposite direction shall yield the right of way to
the vehicle making the left or right turn.
Violations of this section are subject to the fines
enumerated in section 31-41.1-4, unless bodily
injury, serious bodily injury or death occurs to any person
other than the offending operator under
this section.
(b) When bodily injury
of any person other than the offending operator of any motor
vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the offending
operator shall be fined two hundred
dollars ($200). When serious bodily injury of any person
other than the offending operator of any
motor vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the
offending operator shall be fined five
hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's license shall be
suspended for a period of three (3)
months. When the death of any person other than the
offending operator of any motor vehicle is
caused by violation of this section, the offending operator
shall be fined one thousand dollars
($1,000) and his/her driver's license shall be
suspended for a period of one year.
(c) As used in this
section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a
substantial risk of death or causes serious physical
disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment
of the function of any bodily member or organ.
31-17-4. Vehicle entering
stop or yield intersection. -- (a) Preferential
right-of-way at
an intersection may be indicated by stop signs or yield
signs.
(b) Except when
directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic-control signal, every
driver of a vehicle approaching a stop intersection
indicated by a stop sign shall stop at a clearly
marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk
on the near side of the intersection,
or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting
roadway where the driver has a view of
approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering
the intersection. After having
stopped, the driver shall yield the right-of-way to any
pedestrian intending to cross the lane of
traffic in a crosswalk or any vehicle which has entered the
intersection from another highway or
which is approaching so closely on the highway as to
constitute an immediate hazard during the
time when the driver is moving across or within the
intersection.
(c) The driver of a
vehicle approaching a yield sign shall, in obedience to the sign, slow
down to a speed reasonable for the existing conditions
and, if required for safety to stop, shall
stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, before
entering the crosswalk on the near side of
the intersection, or, if none, then at the point nearest
the intersecting roadway where the driver
has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting
roadway. After slowing or stopping, the
driver shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian intending
to cross the lane of traffic in a
crosswalk or any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on
another highway so closely as to
constitute an immediate hazard during the time the driver is
moving across or within the
intersection.
(d) Violations of this
section are subject to the fines enumerated in section 31-41.1-4,
unless bodily injury, serious bodily injury or death occurs
to any person other than the offending
operator under this section.
(e) When bodily
injury of any person other than the offending operator of any motor
vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the offending
operator shall be fined two hundred
dollars ($200). When serious bodily injury of any person
other than the offending operator of any
motor vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the
offending operator shall be fined five
hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's license shall be
suspended for a period of three (3)
months. When the death of any person other than the
offending operator of any motor vehicle is
caused by violation of this section, the offending operator
shall be fined one thousand dollars
($1,000) and his/her driver's license shall be
suspended for a period of one year.
(f) As used in this
section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a
substantial risk of death or causes serious physical
disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment
of the function of any bodily member or organ.
31-17-7.
Right-of-way of fire companies. -- The officers
and men and women of the fire
department, of any fire engine or hose company, or of any
protective department or company
duly chartered and organized under the laws of this state
for the protection of property from fire
in any city or town, with their registered fire
apparatus, shall have the right of way while going to
a fire or upon any alarm of fire, while responding to
an emergency call; when on duty at any fire,
in, upon, or through any street, highway, lane, avenue,
or alley in the city or town; and when
exiting or entering a fire station, garage or other
department facility. Every person in or upon or
owning any vehicle, or upon the street, highway, lane,
avenue, or alley, who shall willfully or
maliciously refuse the right of way to, or shall in any way
willfully or maliciously obstruct or
retard any registered fire apparatus of the fire department,
fire company, protective department, or
company, or any of the officers or men and women, while going
to a fire or upon any alarm of
fire, while responding to an emergency call, or while on
duty at any fire, in, upon, or through the
street, highway, lane, avenue, or alley, or when exiting or
entering a fire station, garage or other
department facility shall be fined not exceeding twenty dollars
($20.00) two hundred dollars
($200).
However, the rights pursuant to this section of the protective department or
company shall
be subject, at all times, to the rights pursuant to this
section of the fire department, fire engine
company, and hose company.
31-17-8.
Right-of-way at rotary. -- (a) In the absence of any traffic control device or
sign, the driver of a vehicle about to enter a rotary,
regardless of the direction from which the
vehicle is approaching, shall yield the right-of-way to all
vehicles already in the rotary. The state
traffic commission shall determine the location of yield
signs at rotaries. Violations of this section
are subject to fines enumerated in section 31-41.1-4,
unless bodily injury, serious bodily injury or
death occurs to any person other than the offending
operator under this section.
(b) When bodily
injury of any person other than the offending operator of any motor
vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the offending
operator shall be fined two hundred
dollars ($200). When serious bodily injury of any person
other than the offending operator of any
motor vehicle is caused by violation of this section, the
offending operator shall be fined five
hundred dollars ($500) and his/her driver's license shall be
suspended for a period of three (3)
months. When the death of any person other than the
offending operator of any motor vehicle is
caused by violation of this section, the offending operator
shall be fined one thousand dollars
($1,000) and his/her driver's license shall be
suspended for a period of one year.
(c) As used in this
section, "serious bodily injury" means physical injury that creates a
substantial risk of death or causes serious physical
disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment
of the function of any bodily member or organ.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC00246/SUB A
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