Title 31, Title 31 and Other Vehicles

(a) There is established a state traffic commission consisting of the superintendent of state police or his or her designee from within the department of state police, the director of the department of revenue or his or her designee from within the division of motor vehicles, the…

(a) No person shall place, maintain, or display upon or in view of any highway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking, or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic control device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct the …

(a) As used in this section, “traffic control signal preemption device” means any device, either mechanical or electrical, that emits a pulse of light or other signal that, when received by a detector attached to a traffic control signal, changes that traffic control signal to a …

No person shall without lawful authority attempt to or in fact alter, deface, injure, knock down, or remove any official traffic control device or any railroad sign or signal or any inscription, shield, or insignia on it or any other part of it. Violations of this section are sub…

The standards set forth in section VI of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, prepared by the National Joint Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, pertaining to situations where traffic must be moved through or around road construction a…

The director of transportation is directed to include on all signs indicating a hospital area, directions to a hospital, or the presence of a hospital, and whether the hospital has an emergency treatment facility.

All projects approved by the state traffic commission pursuant to this chapter shall be completed before the end of the following construction season with the exception of geometric improvements/roundabouts and new signals.

(a) The state traffic commission shall place and maintain any traffic control devices, conforming to its manual and specifications, upon any state highways, that it shall deem necessary to indicate and to carry out the provisions of chapters 12 — 27 of this title or to regulate, …

The traffic authority of any city or town may place and maintain traffic control signals, signs, markings, and other safety devices upon the highways under their jurisdiction as they may deem necessary to indicate and carry out the provisions of chapters 12 — 27 of this title, or…

The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic control device applicable to him or her placed in accordance with the provisions of chapters 12 — 27 of this title, unless otherwise directed by a traffic or police officer, subject to the exceptions gr…

No provision of chapters 12 — 27 of this title for which signs are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator if, at the time and place of the alleged violation, an official sign is not in proper position and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant …

Traffic control signals shall have the following meanings for vehicles and pedestrians: (1) Steady green signals shall have the following meanings: (i) Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal is permitted to proceed straight through or turn right or left or make a U-turn…

In the event an official traffic control signal is erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection, the provisions of § 31-13-6 shall be applicable except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. Any stop required shall be made at a sign …

Whenever special pedestrian control signals exhibiting the words “walk” or “wait” or “don’t walk” are in place the signals shall indicate as follows: (1) Walk. Pedestrians facing the signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal and shall be given the right…

Whenever an illuminated flashing red or yellow signal is used in a traffic sign or signal it shall require obedience by vehicular traffic as follows: (1) Flashing red (stop signal). When a red lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles shall stop bef…

No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing. In every event, speed shall be so controlled as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any pe…

No person shall operate any motor-driven cycle at any time mentioned in § 31-24-1 at a speed greater than thirty-five miles per hour (35 mph) unless the motor-driven cycle is equipped with a head lamp or lamps which are adequate to reveal a person or vehicle at a distance of thre…

No person shall drive any vehicle equipped with solid rubber or cushion tires at a speed greater than a maximum of ten miles per hour (10 mph).

(a) No person shall drive a vehicle over any bridge or other elevated structure constituting a part of a highway at a speed which is greater than the maximum speed which can be maintained with safety to the bridge or structure, when the structure is signposted as provided in this…

(a) Whenever the department of transportation or local governing unit with jurisdiction over the highways determines that the preexisting established speed limit through a highway construction or maintenance operation is greater than is reasonable or safe with respect to the cond…

The provisions of this chapter declaring prima facie speed limitations shall not be construed to relieve the plaintiff in any civil action from the burden of proving negligence on the part of the defendant as the proximate cause of an accident.

(a) Where no special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with § 31-14-1, the speed of any vehicle not in excess of the limits specified in this section or established as authorized in this title shall be lawful, but any speed in excess of the limits specified i…

(a) The driver of every vehicle shall, consistent with the requirements of § 31-14-1, drive at an appropriate reduced speed when approaching and crossing an intersection or railroad grade crossing; when approaching and going around a curve; when approaching a hill crest; when tra…

Whenever the state traffic commission shall determine upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that any prima facie speed set forth in § 31-14-2 is greater or less than is reasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist at any intersection or other place …

Whenever the state traffic commission shall determine that any prima facie limit set forth in § 31-14-2 is greater than is reasonable in any historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places or on any road duly recognized as a scenic highway by the scenic highw…

Whenever local authorities within their respective jurisdictions determine upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that the prima facie speed permitted under this chapter at any intersection or local street within a business or residence districts is greater th…

Local authorities in their respective jurisdictions may in their discretion, but subject to § 31-14-8, authorize by ordinance or by authority granted to any organized traffic engineering department, higher prima facie speeds than those stated in § 31-14-2 upon through highways or…

Whenever local authorities within their respective jurisdictions determine upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that the prima facie speed permitted under this chapter upon any street or highway outside a business or residence district is greater than is rea…

Alteration of prima facie limits on state highways or extensions of them in a municipality by local authorities shall not be effective until the alteration has been approved by the state traffic commission.

(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law. (b) Police officers are authorized to enforce this provision by …

Upon all roadways of sufficient width a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway, except as follows: (1) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing the movement; (2) When the right half of a roadway is …

A vehicle passing around a rotary traffic island shall be driven only to the right of the island. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.

Whenever any roadway has been divided into two (2) or more clearly marked lanes for traffic, the following rules in addition to all others consistent with them shall apply: (1) A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved f…

The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of the vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway, and shall, whenever traveling through a business or residential distr…

(a) The driver of a motor vehicle shall not enter an intersection whether or not any traffic signal is green unless there is sufficient space in the roadway he or she is about to enter beyond the intersection to receive his or her vehicle without blocking the intersection. Violat…

(a) No operator of a motor vehicle shall proceed into an intersection that has been designated, posted, and marked by a municipality in accordance with subsection (b), except when making a turn, unless there is sufficient space on the opposite side of the intersection to accommod…

Whenever any highway has been divided into two (2) roadways by leaving an unpaved intervening space or by a physical barrier, every vehicle shall be driven only upon the right-hand roadway and no vehicle shall be driven over, across, or within a dividing space, barrier, or sectio…

No person shall drive a vehicle onto or from any limited-access roadway except at those entrances and exits that are established by public authority. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.

(a) The state traffic commission may, by resolution or order entered in its minutes, and local authorities may by ordinance with respect to any controlled-access roadway under their respective jurisdictions, prohibit the use of a roadway by pedestrians, bicycles, or other non-mot…

No person shall operate a motor vehicle for travel on the emergency break-down lane of any highway. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.

(a) A person may not operate a motor vehicle upon a bicycle lane except when making a turn, entering or leaving the roadway or a parking lane, or when required in the course of official duty. An implement of husbandry may momentarily cross into a bicycle lane to permit other vehi…

(a) A driver of a motor vehicle commits the offense of unsafe passing of a person operating a bicycle if the driver violates any of the following requirements: (1) The driver of a motor vehicle may only pass a person operating a bicycle by driving to the left of the bicycle at a …

A two-way left turn lane may be designated near the center of a roadway for use by vehicles making left turns in both directions from or into the roadway. (1) Two-way left turn lanes shall be designated by distinctive roadway markings consisting of parallel double yellow lines, i…

Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadw…

(a) For purposes of this section, “vulnerable road user” means: (1) A pedestrian who is acting in compliance with chapter 18 of this title; (2) A bicyclist who is acting in compliance with chapter 19 of this title; (3) A police officer or emergency worker on duty when outside of …

Drivers of vehicles proceeding in opposite directions shall pass each other to the right, and upon roadways having a width for not more than one line of traffic in each direction, each driver shall give to the other at least one-half of the main traveled portion of the roadway as…