Title 31
Motor and Other Vehicles

Chapter 19.7
Electric Bicycles

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-19.7-3

§ 31-19.7-3. Helmets required on electric bicycle operators and passengers under age twenty-one (21).

Any person under age twenty-one (21) who is operating or is a passenger on an electric bicycle on a public highway, bicycle trail or path, shared use path, park and/or recreational area, school property, or on any other public right-of-way shall wear a helmet. The helmet shall fit the person’s head and shall be secured to the person’s head by straps while the person is operating or is a passenger on an electric bicycle. The helmet shall meet the standards for helmets established by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) or subsequent standards. In no event shall failure to wear a helmet be considered as contributory or comparative negligence, nor shall the failure to wear a helmet be admissible as evidence in the trial of any civil action.

History of Section.
P.L. 2024, ch. 172, § 1, effective July 1, 2024; P.L. 2024, ch. 173, § 1, effective July 1, 2024.