Chapter 063
2021 -- H 5093 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 06/25/2021

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

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Chapter 31-15 of the General Laws entitled "Passing, Use of Lanes, and Rules
of the Road" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
     31-15-20. Unsafe passing of a vulnerable road user.
     (a) For purposes of this section, "vulnerable road user" means:
     (1) A pedestrian who is acting in compliance with chapter 18 of this title 31;
     (2) A bicyclist who is acting in compliance with chapter 19 of this title 31;
     (3) A police officer or emergency worker on duty when outside of a vehicle;
     (4) A highway worker performing duties outside of a vehicle;
     (5) A person riding on or driving a wheelchair, motorized or not, who is acting in
compliance with chapter 18 of this title 31;
     (6) A person using a skateboard, inline skates, or roller skates who is acting in compliance
with chapter 19 of this title 31;
     (7) A person riding on or driving an animal;
     (8) A person riding on a scooter who is acting in compliance with chapter 19.1 of this title
31.
     (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of the general or public laws to the contrary, any
person, while operating a motor vehicle on a street or highway, who fails to exercise due care to
avoid colliding with a vulnerable road user, who is the proximate cause of injury, serious injury, or
death to the vulnerable road user, shall be guilty of an offense pursuant to this section and shall be
sentenced, in addition to any other applicable criminal or civil statute, as follows:
     (1) When bodily injury of a vulnerable road user is caused by a violation of this section,
the offending operator shall be fined two hundred dollars ($200).
     (2) When serious bodily injury of a vulnerable road user is caused by a violation of this
section, the offending operator shall be fined five hundred dollars ($500), and his or her the driver’s
license shall be suspended for a period of three (3) months.
     (3) When the death of a vulnerable road user is caused by a violation of this section, the
offending operator shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000) and his or her the 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. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC000158/SUB A
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