Title 31, Title 31 and Other Vehicles

(a) Except as otherwise specified in this chapter, data acquired under this section shall be used only for: (1) research or statistical purposes; or (2) in any legal or administrative proceeding to establish an inference of discrimination on the basis of particular identifying ch…

An organization chartered for the purpose of combating discrimination, racism, or of safeguarding civil liberties, or of promoting full, free, or equal employment opportunities, may seek appropriate relief in a civil action against any police department for failing to collect or …

This chapter may be cited as “Racial Profiling Prevention Act of 2004.”

(a) Municipal and state law enforcement officers play a vital role in protecting the public from crime. The vast majority of police officers discharge their duties professionally and without bias. (b) The use by police officers of race, ethnicity, or national origin solely in dec…

No state or municipal law enforcement officer or law enforcement agency shall engage in racial profiling. For purposes of this chapter, “racial profiling” means the detention, interdiction or other disparate treatment of an individual on the basis, in whole or in part, of the rac…

Any individual who alleges a violation of this chapter, other than § 31-21.2-6, may file a civil action for damages and any appropriate and equitable relief in Superior Court. The court may allow a prevailing plaintiff reasonable attorneys’ fees as part of the costs.

(a) Unless there exists reasonable suspicion or probable cause of criminal activity, no motor vehicle stopped for a traffic violation shall be detained beyond the time needed to address the violation. Nothing contained herein shall prohibit the detention of a motor vehicle for a …

(a) The office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation or a designee to be chosen by the department of transportation by January 1, 2017, is authorized to and shall conduct a study of routine traffic stops by the Rhode Island state police and each munic…

(a) Data acquired under this chapter shall not be used in any civil proceeding to establish or rebut an inference of discrimination except by court order or when otherwise admissible in accordance with rules of civil procedure. It is understood that disparities may or may not equ…

(a) Each state and municipal law enforcement agency shall establish a procedure to investigate complaints of police misconduct by members of the public against personnel of these agencies, and shall make a written description of the procedure available to the public. Copies of an…

A pupil transportation vehicle is a motor vehicle designed and constructed to seat not more than ten (10) passengers plus the operator, used by a school committee to provide the transportation services required by law or regulation to students being conveyed along a fixed school …

Vans, sport utility vehicles, and heavy automobiles as defined by applicable federal regulations may be used as pupil transportation vehicles provided that these vehicles meet the highest federal crashworthiness standards for these categories of vehicles. Unless otherwise specifi…

No person shall operate any student transportation vehicle, and the owner or custodian of a student transportation vehicle shall not permit the same to be operated to convey students unless the following requirements are complied with: (1) The operator of a pupil transportation v…

No pupil transportation vehicle shall be operated, under the provisions of this chapter, for purposes of transporting students prior to September 1, 2007.

The vehicle equipment safety compact is enacted into law and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining in it in the form substantially as follows: Findings and Purposes (a) The party states find that: (1) Accidents and deaths on their streets and highways present …

Pursuant to article VI(e) of the compact, the department of revenue is empowered and authorized to inspect the accounts of the vehicle equipment safety commission.

“Executive head” as used in article IX(b) of the compact, with reference to this state, means the governor.

The legislature finds that: (1) The public safety necessitates the continuous development, modernization, and implementation of standards and requirements of law relating to vehicle equipment, in accordance with expert knowledge and opinion. (2) The public safety further requires…

Provisions of chapters 23 and 24 of this title shall continue to be of force and effect only until superseded by a rule, regulation, or code adopted by the general assembly pursuant to the Vehicle Equipment Safety Compact. Any superseding rule, regulation, or code shall specify t…

Pursuant to article V(e) of the Vehicle Equipment Safety Compact, it is the intention of this state and it is provided that no rule, regulation, or code issued by the vehicle equipment safety commission in accordance with article V of the compact shall take effect until approved …

The commissioner of this state on the vehicle equipment safety commission shall be the administrator of the division of motor vehicles who shall serve during his or her continuance as the officer. The commissioner of this state appointed pursuant to this section may designate an …

The employees’ retirement system of the state of Rhode Island may make an agreement with the vehicle equipment safety commission for the coverage of the commission’s employees pursuant to article III(f) of the compact. The agreement, as nearly as may be, shall provide for arrange…

Within appropriations available for them, the departments, agencies, and officers of the government of this state may cooperate with and assist the vehicle equipment safety commission within the scope contemplated by article III(h) of the compact. The departments, agencies, and o…

Filing of documents as required by article III(j) of the compact shall be with the division of motor vehicles.

Pursuant to article VI(a) of the compact, the vehicle equipment safety commission shall submit its budgets to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles.

(a) The general assembly finds: (1) That purchasers, when buying motor vehicles, rely heavily on the odometer reading as an index of the condition and value of the vehicle; (2) That purchasers are entitled to rely on the odometer reading as an accurate reflection of the mileage a…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of the general laws, the division of motor vehicles shall require the inspection by a member of a city or town police department, of the odometer of every motor vehicle purchased from a seller from outside the state of Rhode Island, prior …

Any violation of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a deceptive trade practice under the terms of chapter 13.1 of title 6. In addition to the provisions of § 31-23.2-8, all of the public and private remedies provided for in chapter 13.1 of title 6 shall be available …

All motor vehicle dealers licensed by the state of Rhode Island shall post a bond of not less than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) with the Rhode Island motor vehicle dealers license commission for the purpose of indemnifying a good faith purchaser who suffers any loss occasio…

All motor vehicle dealers licensed by the state of Rhode Island shall retain all records involving the transfer of motor vehicles in the state of Rhode Island, including, but not limited to, those set forth in § 31-23.2-6(a) and (b), for a period of six (6) years after the date o…

As used in this title: (1) “Motor vehicle” means any vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power for use on the public streets, roads, and highways; (2) “Odometer” means an instrument for measuring and recording the actual distance a motor vehicle travels while in operation; (3) …

It is unlawful for any person to advertise for sale, to sell, to use, or to install or to have installed, any device which causes the odometer to register any mileage other than the true mileage driven. For the purpose of this section the “true mileage driven” is that mileage dri…

It is unlawful for any person or his or her agent to disconnect, reset, or alter the odometer of any motor vehicle with the intent to reduce the number of miles indicated on it.

Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the service, repair, or replacement of an odometer, provided the mileage indicated on it remains the same as before the service, repair, or replacement. Where the odometer is incapable of registering the same mileage as before the service, re…

(a) Any sales agreement for the transfer of a motor vehicle between persons as defined in this chapter shall contain the words “both buyer and seller have examined the title certificate of this motor vehicle and it correctly reflects the mileage as it appears on the odometer” whi…

(a) A person who shall violate any of the sections of this chapter shall be punished by imprisonment for up to five (5) years or a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or one dollar ($1.00) for each mile representing the difference between the actual mileage drive…

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or public law to the contrary, any person who suffers a loss as a result of a violation of any provision of this chapter, may commence an action in either the superior or district court within three (3) years from the date of disc…

This chapter does not annul, alter, affect, or exempt any person subject to the provisions of this chapter from complying with the laws of any state with respect to the disconnecting, altering, or tampering with odometers with the intent to defraud, except to the extent that thos…

The following words and phrases, for the purposes of this chapter only, have the following meanings: (1) “Motor vehicle” means any vehicle, except those vehicles defined in § 31-1-8 as vehicles used in farm husbandry, which is registered or required to be registered in the state.…

No person shall own and operate any motor vehicle upon any public highway, road or street with nontransparent or sunscreen material, window application, reflective film or non-reflective film used in any way to cover or treat the front windshield, the side windows immediately adj…

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall establish rules and regulations to provide standards and tests to measure the percentage of reflective and transmittance of light. (b) Any person, firm, corporation, or other entity installing such a sunscreen device o…

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to: (1) Motor vehicles manufactured with windshields and window glass areas equipped in accordance with specifications of 49 CFR 571.205 as authorized by 15 U.S.C. § 1407. (2) Motor vehicles owned or leased by federal, state and loca…

(a) Any person, firm, corporation, or other business entity that installs any sunscreening material which is not in compliance with the provisions of this chapter shall be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for each offense. (b) Any person who owns a motor vehic…

The owners of all motor vehicles who have sunscreening material in their motor vehicle in violation of the provisions of this chapter may be found in violation of the provisions of this chapter; provided, an owner of a motor vehicle shall not be required to remove any sunscreenin…

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that aggressive driving causes two-thirds (⅔) of fatal accidents and one-third (⅓) of all accidents. The general assembly finds that aggressive driving has become a significant public safety concern in recent ye…

This chapter may be cited as the “Aggressive Driving Act.”