Senate Bill #318 (2021)
AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- PASSING, USE OF LANES, AND RULES OF THE ROAD
Provides for specific fines and sanctions to operators of motor vehicles who fail to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a vulnerable road user causing injury, serious injury, or death to the vulnerable road user.
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2021-02-18: Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
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2021-04-02: Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
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2021-04-02: Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/08/2021)
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2021-04-08: Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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2021-04-23: Scheduled for consideration (04/29/2021)
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2021-04-28: Proposed Substitute
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2021-04-29: Committee recommends passage of Sub A
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2021-04-30: Placed on Senate Calendar (05/04/2021)
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2021-05-04: Senate passed Sub A
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2021-05-05: Referred to House Judiciary
Changes since original draft
2021 – S 0318- 2021 – S 0318 SUBSTITUTE A
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LC001022- LC001022/SUB A
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D- S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
- IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
- JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021
- ____________
A N A C T- A N A C T
- RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – PASSING, USE OF LANES, AND
- RULES OF THE ROAD
Introduced By: Senators Archambault, Lombardi, Coyne, Euer, and Burke- Introduced By: Senators Archambault, F Lombardi, Coyne, Euer, and Burke
- Date Introduced: February 18, 2021
- Referred To: Senate Judiciary
- It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION1.Chapter31-15 ofthe General Lawsentitled"Passing,UseofLanes,andRules of the Road" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:- SECTION1.Chapter31-15 oftheGeneral Lawsentitled"Passing,UseofLanes,andRules 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; (2) A bicyclist;- (a) For purposes of this section, "vulnerable road user" means:
- (1) A pedestrian who is acting in compliance with chapter 18 of title 31;
- (2) A bicyclist who is acting in compliance with chapter 19 of 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; (6) A person using a skateboard, inline skate, or roller skates;- (5) A person riding on or driving a wheelchair, motorized or not who is acting in compliance with chapter 18 of title 31;
- (6) A person using a skateboard, inline skates, or roller skates who is acting in compliance with chapter 19 of title 31;
- (7) A person riding on or driving an animal;
(8) A person riding on a scooter. (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 avoidcollidingwithavulnerableroaduser,causinginjury,seriousinjury,ordeathtothevulnerable 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:- (8) A person riding on a scooter who is acting in compliance with chapter 19.1 of 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 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 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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LC001022- LC001022/SUB A
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- EXPLANATION
- BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
- OF
- A N A C T
- RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – PASSING, USE OF LANES, AND
- RULES OF THE ROAD
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- This act would provide for specific fines and sanctions to operators of motor vehicles who fail toexerciseduecaretoavoidcollidingwithavulnerableroadusercausinginjury,seriousinjury, or death to the vulnerable road user.
This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC001022 ========- This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC001022/SUB A ========
Votes
NOTE: Electronic voting records are unofficial and may not be accurate. For an official vote tally, check the
House or Senate Journal from the day of the vote.
Floor vote for AND RULES OF THE ROAD
May 04, 2021 at 5:34pm
Yeas: 35 /
Nays: 0 /
Not voting: 3 /
Recused: 0