Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5577 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- H 5577
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7	7	LC000557
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATION OF BICYCLES--
16	16	HIGHWAY SAFETY ACT
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives Kislak, Potter, and Handy
18	18	Date Introduced: February 15, 2023
19	19	Referred To: House Judiciary
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Section 31-19-14 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-19 entitled "Operation 1
24	24	of Bicycles" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
25	25	31-19-14. Turn and stop signals. 3
26	26	(a) Except as provided in this section, a person riding a bicycle shall comply with § 31-16-4
27	27	5. 5
28	28	(b) A signal of intention to turn right or left when required shall be given continuously 6
29	29	during not less than the last one hundred feet (100′) traveled by the bicycle before turning, and shall 7
30	30	be given while the bicycle is stopped waiting to turn. A signal by hand and arm need not be given 8
31	31	continuously if the hand is needed in control or operation of the bicycle. 9
32	32	(c) A person operating a bicycle approaching a stop sign shall slow down and, if required 10
33	33	for safety, stop before entering the intersection. After slowing to a reasonable speed or stopping, 11
34	34	the person shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another 12
35	35	highway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time the person is moving across 13
36	36	or within the intersection or junction of highways. After slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding 14
37	37	the right-of-way, if required, the person on a bicycle may cautiously make a turn or proceed through 15
38	38	the intersection without stopping. 16
39	39	(d) A person operating a bicycle approaching a steady red traffic control light shall stop 17
40	40	before entering the intersection and shall yield to all other traffic. Once the person has yielded, the 18
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43	43	LC000557 - Page 2 of 5
44	44	person may proceed straight through the steady red light with caution. Provided however, that a 1
45	45	person, after slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding the right-of-way, if required, may 2
46	46	cautiously make a right-hand turn. A left-hand turn onto a one-way highway may be made on a red 3
47	47	light after stopping and yielding to other traffic. 4
48	48	(e) A person riding a bicycle shall comply with the following: 5
49	49	(1) Both the approach for a right turn and the right turn shall be made as close as practicable 6
50	50	to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. 7
51	51	(2) When intending to turn left, the person on a bicycle shall approach the turn in the 8
52	52	extreme left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the direction of travel. Whenever 9
53	53	practicable, the left turn shall be made to the left of the center of the intersection in order to leave 10
54	54	the intersection or other location in the extreme left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving 11
55	55	in the same direction on the highway being entered. 12
56	56	(3) Where a special lane for making left turns by drivers proceeding in opposite directions 13
57	57	has been indicated by traffic-control devices: 14
58	58	(i) A left turn shall not be made from any other lane; 15
59	59	(ii) A person operating a bicycle shall not ride in the lane, except when preparing for or 16
60	60	making a left turn from or into the highway or when preparing for or making a U-turn when 17
61	61	otherwise permitted by law. 18
62	62	(f) A signal of intention to turn right or left shall be given during not less than the last one 19
63	63	hundred feet (100') traveled by the bicycle before turning; provided that, a signal by hand and arm 20
64	64	need not be given if the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle. 21
65	65	(g) Nothing in this section shall relieve a person on a bicycle from the responsibility to 22
66	66	yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian. 23
67	67	SECTION 2. Chapter 31-17 of the General Laws entitled "Right-of-Way" is hereby 24
68	68	amended by adding thereto the following section: 25
69	69	31-17-10. Yielding to person on a bicycle at crossings and intersections. 26
70	70	(a) No driver of a motor vehicle shall pass any other motor vehicle which has stopped at a 27
71	71	bicycle crossing to permit a person on a bicycle to cross, nor shall any such operator enter a marked 28
72	72	bicycle crossing while a person on a bicycle is crossing or until there is a sufficient space beyond 29
73	73	the bicycle crossing to accommodate the motor vehicle the person is operating, notwithstanding 30
74	74	that a traffic control signal may indicate that vehicles may proceed. 31
75	75	(b) When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation, the driver of a motor 32
76	76	vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be, to yield to a person on a 33
77	77	bicycle crossing a roadway or intersection at a bicycle crossing marked, signed, or otherwise 34
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81	81	designated in accordance with standards established by the department including, but not limited 1
82	82	to, road crossings of bicycle or shared-use paths and intersection crossings of bicycle lanes, if the 2
83	83	person on a bicycle is on that half of the traveled part of the way on which the vehicle is traveling 3
84	84	or if the person on a bicycle approaches from the opposite half of the traveled part of the way to 4
85	85	within ten feet (10') of that half of the traveled part of the way on which said vehicle is traveling. 5
86	86	(c) Any driver of a vehicle convicted of violating the provisions of this section shall be 6
87	87	subject to the fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4 in the same amount for the violations of § 31-17-9. 7
88	88	SECTION 3. Chapter 31-14 of the General Laws entitled "Speed Restrictions" is hereby 8
89	89	amended by adding thereto the following section: 9
90	90	31-14-14. Speed limits in thickly settled areas and business districts. 10
91	91	(a) On a state highway inside a thickly settled or business district located in a city or town, 11
92	92	the department shall establish and post a speed limit of twenty-five miles per hour (25 mph) or a 12
93	93	speed limit based on an engineering speed study in compliance with chapter 13 of title 31 the 13
94	94	("manual on uniform traffic control devices"). 14
95	95	(b) On a parkway inside a thickly settled or business district located in a city or town, the 15
96	96	local authority with jurisdiction shall establish and post a speed limit of twenty-five miles per hour 16
97	97	(25 mph) or a speed limit based on an engineering speed study in compliance with chapter 13 of 17
98	98	title 31 the ("manual on uniform traffic control devices"). 18
99	99	(c) For the purposes of this section, "thickly settled" shall be defined as any area where 19
100	100	buildings are fewer than two hundred feet (200') apart for a distance of one-eighth (1/8) of a mile 20
101	101	or more. 21
102	102	(d) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4 in the same 22
103	103	amount for the violations of § 31-14-1. 23
104	104	SECTION 4. Chapter 31-27.1 of the General Laws entitled "Aggressive Driving" is hereby 24
105	105	amended by adding thereto the following section: 25
106	106	31-27.1-5. Reckless driver accountability traffic safety program. 26
107	107	(a) There is hereby established a reckless driver accountability traffic safety program. 27
108	108	(b) The program shall feature classes, based on a restorative justice model, to educate 28
109	109	reckless drivers on the impacts of their actions. The program shall be open to the public. The state 29
110	110	may charge reasonable fees to pay for the administration of the reckless driver accountability 30
111	111	program. 31
112	112	(c) Motor vehicles with five (5) or more automated traffic enforcement (ATE) or speeding 32
113	113	violations, or three (3) or more speeding violations for driving twenty-one miles per hour (21 mph) 33
114	114	or more over the speed limit, within a three hundred, sixty-five (365) day period shall be subject to 34
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118	118	impoundment, unless the vehicle's owner enrolls in the reckless driver accountability program 1
119	119	within ten (10) days after notification of the last violation and completes the class within ninety 2
120	120	(90) days after the notification of the last violation. Any vehicle impounded pursuant to this section 3
121	121	shall not be released until the vehicle’s owner completes the reckless driver accountability program 4
122	122	and pays all applicable towing and storage fees. 5
123	123	(d) The state shall notify, through certified mail, owners of motor vehicles with four (4) 6
124	124	violations, or two (2) speeding violations for driving twenty-one miles per hour (21 mph) or more 7
125	125	over the speed limit, that their vehicle will be subject to impoundment following another violation, 8
126	126	unless the owner voluntarily enrolls in the reckless driver accountability program within thirty (30) 9
127	127	days after receiving the notification of the last violation and completes the class within one hundred 10
128	128	twenty (120) days after the notification of the last violation. 11
129	129	(e) Following completion of the reckless driver accountability program, motor vehicles 12
130	130	shall again be subject to impoundment by the state after receiving another five (5) ATE or speeding 13
131	131	tickets, or another three (3) speeding violations for driving twenty-one miles per hour (21 mph) or 14
132	132	more over the speed limit. 15
133	133	SECTION 5. Chapter 16-21 of the General Laws entitled "Health and Safety of Pupils" is 16
134	134	hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 17
135	135	16-21-17.1. Curriculum for highway safety. 18
136	136	(a) The department of elementary and secondary education shall develop and make 19
137	137	available to public schools and public charter schools in Rhode Island an educational curriculum 20
138	138	for children in kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) regarding the safe use of public streets 21
139	139	and premises open to the public by pedestrians and bicyclists. 22
140	140	(b) At a minimum, the curriculum shall address: 23
141	141	(1) The safe use of bicycles; 24
142	142	(2) Traffic laws, regulations and best practices including, but not limited to, the use of the 25
143	143	far hand reach when exiting a motor vehicle known as Dutch Reach; 26
144	144	(3) The use of bicycle lanes and trails; and 27
145	145	(4) Safe pedestrian practices. 28
146	146	SECTION 6. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2024. 29
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153	153	EXPLANATION
154	154	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
155	155	OF
156	156	A N A C T
157	157	RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATION OF BICYCLES--
158	158	HIGHWAY SAFETY ACT
159	159	***
160	160	This act would amend several chapters of the general laws regarding the operation of 1
161	161	bicycles on state highways and interaction with motor vehicles, reckless driver accountability 2
162	162	program and speed limits in thickly settled areas and business districts. 3
163	163	This act would take effect on January 1, 2024. 4
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