Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0407 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5	2023 -- S 0407
6	6	========
7	7	LC001396
8	8	========
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: Senators Kallman, Gu, McKenney, DiMario, Valverde, Zurier, and
18	18	Ujifusa
19	19	Date Introduced: February 16, 2023
20	20	Referred To: Senate Judiciary
21	21
22	22
23	23	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
24	24	SECTION 1. Section 31-19-14 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-19 entitled "Operation 1
25	25	of Bicycles" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
26	26	31-19-14. Turn and stop signals. 3
27	27	(a) Except as provided in this section, a person riding a bicycle shall comply with § 31-16-4
28	28	5. 5
29	29	(b) A signal of intention to turn right or left when required shall be given continuously 6
30	30	during not less than the last one hundred feet (100′) traveled by the bicycle before turning, and shall 7
31	31	be given while the bicycle is stopped waiting to turn. A signal by hand and arm need not be given 8
32	32	continuously if the hand is needed in control or operation of the bicycle. 9
33	33	(c) A person operating a bicycle approaching a stop sign shall slow down and, if required 10
34	34	for safety, stop before entering the intersection. After slowing to a reasonable speed or stopping, 11
35	35	the person shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another 12
36	36	highway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time the person is moving across 13
37	37	or within the intersection or junction of highways. After slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding 14
38	38	the right-of-way, if required, the person on a bicycle may cautiously make a turn or proceed through 15
39	39	the intersection without stopping. 16
40	40	(d) A person operating a bicycle approaching a steady red traffic control light shall stop 17
41	41	before entering the intersection and shall yield to all other traffic. Once the person has yielded, the 18
42	42
43	43
44	44	LC001396 - Page 2 of 5
45	45	person may proceed straight through the steady red light with caution. Provided however, that a 1
46	46	person, after slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding the right-of-way, if required, may 2
47	47	cautiously make a right-hand turn. A left-hand turn onto a one-way highway may be made on a red 3
48	48	light after stopping and yielding to other traffic. 4
49	49	(e) A person riding a bicycle shall comply with the following: 5
50	50	(1) Both the approach for a right turn and the right turn shall be made as close as practicable 6
51	51	to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. 7
52	52	(2) When intending to turn left, the person on a bicycle shall approach the turn in the 8
53	53	extreme left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the direction of travel. Whenever 9
54	54	practicable, the left turn shall be made to the left of the center of the intersection in order to leave 10
55	55	the intersection or other location in the extreme left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving 11
56	56	in the same direction on the highway being entered. 12
57	57	(3) Where a special lane for making left turns by drivers proceeding in opposite directions 13
58	58	has been indicated by traffic-control devices: 14
59	59	(i) A left turn shall not be made from any other lane; 15
60	60	(ii) A person operating a bicycle shall not ride in the lane, except when preparing for or 16
61	61	making a left turn from or into the highway or when preparing for or making a U-turn when 17
62	62	otherwise permitted by law. 18
63	63	(f) A signal of intention to turn right or left shall be given during not less than the last one 19
64	64	hundred feet (100') traveled by the bicycle before turning; provided that, a signal by hand and arm 20
65	65	need not be given if the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle. 21
66	66	(g) Nothing in this section shall relieve a person on a bicycle from the responsibility to 22
67	67	yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian. 23
68	68	SECTION 2. Chapter 31-17 of the General Laws entitled "Right-of-Way" is hereby 24
69	69	amended by adding thereto the following section: 25
70	70	31-17-10. Yielding to person on a bicycle at crossings and intersections. 26
71	71	(a) No driver of a motor vehicle shall pass any other motor vehicle which has stopped at a 27
72	72	bicycle crossing to permit a person on a bicycle to cross, nor shall any such operator enter a marked 28
73	73	bicycle crossing while a person on a bicycle is crossing or until there is a sufficient space beyond 29
74	74	the bicycle crossing to accommodate the motor vehicle the person is operating, notwithstanding 30
75	75	that a traffic control signal may indicate that vehicles may proceed. 31
76	76	(b) When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation, the driver of a motor 32
77	77	vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be, to yield to a person on a 33
78	78	bicycle crossing a roadway or intersection at a bicycle crossing marked, signed, or otherwise 34
79	79
80	80
81	81	LC001396 - Page 3 of 5
82	82	designated in accordance with standards established by the department including, but not limited 1
83	83	to, road crossings of bicycle or shared-use paths and intersection crossings of bicycle lanes, if the 2
84	84	person on a bicycle is on that half of the traveled part of the way on which the vehicle is traveling 3
85	85	or if the person on a bicycle approaches from the opposite half of the traveled part of the way to 4
86	86	within ten feet (10') of that half of the traveled part of the way on which said vehicle is traveling. 5
87	87	(c) Any driver of a vehicle convicted of violating the provisions of this section shall be 6
88	88	subject to the fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4 in the same amount for the violations of § 31-17-9. 7
89	89	SECTION 3. Chapter 31-14 of the General Laws entitled "Speed Restrictions" is hereby 8
90	90	amended by adding thereto the following section: 9
91	91	31-14-14. Speed limits in thickly settled areas and business districts. 10
92	92	(a) On a state highway inside a thickly settled or business district located in a city or town, 11
93	93	the department shall establish and post a speed limit of twenty-five miles per hour (25 mph) or a 12
94	94	speed limit based on an engineering speed study in compliance with chapter 13 of title 31 the 13
95	95	("manual on uniform traffic control devices"). 14
96	96	(b) On a parkway inside a thickly settled or business district located in a city or town, the 15
97	97	local authority with jurisdiction shall establish and post a speed limit of twenty-five miles per hour 16
98	98	(25 mph) or a speed limit based on an engineering speed study in compliance with chapter 13 of 17
99	99	title 31 the ("manual on uniform traffic control devices"). 18
100	100	(c) For the purposes of this section, "thickly settled" shall be defined as any area where 19
101	101	buildings are fewer than two hundred feet (200') apart for a distance of one-eighth (1/8) of a mile 20
102	102	or more. 21
103	103	(d) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4 in the same 22
104	104	amount for the violations of § 31-14-1. 23
105	105	SECTION 4. Chapter 31-27.1 of the General Laws entitled "Aggressive Driving" is hereby 24
106	106	amended by adding thereto the following section: 25
107	107	31-27.1-5. Reckless driver accountability traffic safety program. 26
108	108	(a) There is hereby established a reckless driver accountability traffic safety program. 27
109	109	(b) The program shall feature classes, based on a restorative justice model, to educate 28
110	110	reckless drivers on the impacts of their actions. The program shall be open to the public. The state 29
111	111	may charge reasonable fees to pay for the administration of the reckless driver accountability 30
112	112	program. 31
113	113	(c) Motor vehicles with five (5) or more automated traffic enforcement (ATE) or speeding 32
114	114	violations, or three (3) or more speeding violations for driving twenty-one miles per hour (21 mph) 33
115	115	or more over the speed limit, within a three hundred, sixty-five (365) day period shall be subject to 34
116	116
117	117
118	118	LC001396 - Page 4 of 5
119	119	impoundment, unless the vehicle's owner enrolls in the reckless driver accountability program 1
120	120	within ten (10) days after notification of the last violation and completes the class within ninety 2
121	121	(90) days after the notification of the last violation. Any vehicle impounded pursuant to this section 3
122	122	shall not be released until the vehicle’s owner completes the reckless driver accountability program 4
123	123	and pays all applicable towing and storage fees. 5
124	124	(d) The state shall notify, through certified mail, owners of motor vehicles with four (4) 6
125	125	violations, or two (2) speeding violations for driving twenty-one miles per hour (21 mph) or more 7
126	126	over the speed limit, that their vehicle will be subject to impoundment following another violation, 8
127	127	unless the owner voluntarily enrolls in the reckless driver accountability program within thirty (30) 9
128	128	days after receiving the notification of the last violation and completes the class within one hundred 10
129	129	twenty (120) days after the notification of the last violation. 11
130	130	(e) Following completion of the reckless driver accountability program, motor vehicles 12
131	131	shall again be subject to impoundment by the state after receiving another five (5) ATE or speeding 13
132	132	tickets, or another three (3) speeding violations for driving twenty-one miles per hour (21 mph) or 14
133	133	more over the speed limit. 15
134	134	SECTION 5. Chapter 16-21 of the General Laws entitled "Health and Safety of Pupils" is 16
135	135	hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 17
136	136	16-21-17.1. Curriculum for highway safety. 18
137	137	(a) The department of elementary and secondary education shall develop and make 19
138	138	available to public schools and public charter schools in Rhode Island an educational curriculum 20
139	139	for children in kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) regarding the safe use of public streets 21
140	140	and premises open to the public by pedestrians and bicyclists. 22
141	141	(b) At a minimum, the curriculum shall address: 23
142	142	(1) The safe use of bicycles; 24
143	143	(2) Traffic laws, regulations and best practices including, but not limited to, the use of the 25
144	144	far hand reach when exiting a motor vehicle known as Dutch Reach; 26
145	145	(3) The use of bicycle lanes and trails; and 27
146	146	(4) Safe pedestrian practices. 28
147	147	SECTION 6. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2024. 29
148	148	========
149	149	LC001396
150	150	========
151	151
152	152
153	153	LC001396 - Page 5 of 5
154	154	EXPLANATION
155	155	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
156	156	OF
157	157	A N A C T
158	158	RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATION OF BICYCLES--
159	159	HIGHWAY SAFETY ACT
160	160	***
161	161	This act would amend several chapters of the general laws regarding the operation of 1
162	162	bicycles on state highways and interaction with motor vehicles, reckless driver accountability 2
163	163	program and speed limits in thickly settled areas and business districts. 3
164	164	This act would take effect on January 1, 2024. 4
165	165	========
166	166	LC001396
167	167	========
168	168