| 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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