Title 31, Title 31 and Other Vehicles

Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of this chapter, a motor vehicle designed and used for the hauling of refuse shall not be subject to state axle weight restrictions when hauling refuse. Nothing in this provision shall waive or modify existing state gross weight restriction…

(a) The total outside width of any vehicle or the load on it shall not exceed one hundred two inches (102″) excluding any safety and noncargo carrying appurtenances on either motorized campers or camping recreational vehicles. (b) Any carrier or persons operating a vehicle that e…

(a) No vehicle including any load on it shall exceed a height of one hundred sixty-two inches (162″). (b) Any carrier or persons operating a vehicle that exceeds the maximum height, as permitted or as defined in this section, shall be fined five hundred dollars ($500) per inch ov…

(a) No vehicle, including any load on it, except Rhode Island public transit authority articulated buses, shall exceed a length of forty feet (40′) extreme overall dimension inclusive of front and rear bumpers, or in the case of a motor bus, motorized camper or camping recreation…

(a) No combination of vehicles coupled together shall consist of more than three (3) units, a truck-tractor, semi-trailer, and trailer. The combination of vehicles shall not be restricted in overall length, except that when a truck-tractor, semi-trailer, and a trailer are used in…

(a) Subject to the provisions of this chapter limiting the length of vehicles and loads, the load upon any vehicle, operated alone or the load upon the front vehicle of a combination of vehicles, shall not extend more than three feet (3′) beyond the foremost part of the vehicle, …

The limitations as to the length of vehicles and loads stated in §§ 31-25-5 and 31-25-6 shall not apply to any load upon a pole trailer as defined in § 31-1-5 when transporting poles or pipes or structural material which cannot be dismembered, provided that no pole or pipe or oth…

No vehicles shall be driven or moved on any highway unless the vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any of its load from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping from it. However, sand may be dropped for the purpose of securing traction, or water or another …

(a) The driver of any vehicle knowingly involved in an accident resulting in injury to, serious bodily injury to, or death of any person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to it as possible, but shall then immediately return to and in ever…

The division of motor vehicles shall prepare and upon request supply to police departments and other suitable agencies or individuals, forms for accident reports required by this chapter, appropriate with respect to the persons required to make those reports and the purposes to b…

The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall suspend the license or permit to drive, and any nonresident operating privileges, of any person failing to report an accident as provided in this chapter until the report has been filed. Any person convicted of failing to …

The person in charge of any garage or repair shop to which is brought any motor vehicle which shows evidence of having been struck by any bullet, shall report to the nearest local or state police after the motor vehicle is received, giving the engine number, registration number, …

(a) All motorist accident reports made by persons involved in accidents, pursuant to § 31-26-6, or by garages, pursuant to § 31-26-12, shall be without prejudice to the individual so reporting and shall be for the confidential use of the division of motor vehicles or other state …

The division of motor vehicles shall tabulate and may analyze all accident reports and shall publish annually, or at more frequent intervals, statistical information based on the reports as to the number and circumstances of traffic accidents.

Any incorporated city, town, village, or other municipality may by ordinance require that the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident shall also file with a designated city or town department a report of the accident or a copy of any report that is required to be filed with t…

(a) There is established a uniform statewide motor vehicle accident police report which shall be used by the Rhode Island state police and all other state or municipal police departments. (b) This report shall include any information that the superintendent of the Rhode Island st…

The driver of any vehicle knowingly involved in an accident resulting only in damage to a vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to it as possible, but shall immediately return to and in every …

(a) The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the striking of, the injury to, or death of any person or damage to any vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall, upon request, give his or her name, address, and the registration number of the vehi…

(a) The driver of any vehicle knowingly involved in an accident resulting in death or injury to a domesticated animal, shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to it as possible, but shall immediately return to and in every event shall remain at…

The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, or any vehicle other than a vehicle moved by human power becoming so disabled as to prevent its normal and safe operation, shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give …

(a) The driver of any vehicle knowingly involved in an accident with a person riding a bicycle shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to it as possible, and shall immediately return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accide…

The driver of any vehicle which collides with another vehicle which is unattended and damage results to either vehicle shall immediately stop and shall then and there either locate and notify the operator or owner of the unattended vehicle of the name and address of the driver an…

The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to fixtures legally upon or adjacent to a highway shall take reasonable steps to locate and notify the owner or person in charge of the property of the fact and of his or her name and address and of the re…

The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or in which the damage to property of any one person, including himself or herself, in excess of one thousand dollars ($1000) is sustained, shall, within twenty-one (21) days after the a…

The division of motor vehicles may require any driver of a vehicle involved in an accident of which a report must be made as provided in § 31-26-6 to file supplemental reports whenever the original report is insufficient in the opinion of the division of motor vehicles.

Whenever the driver is physically incapable of making a written report of an accident as required in § 31-26-6 and the driver is not the owner of the vehicle, then the owner of the vehicle involved in the accident shall within twenty one (21) days after learning of the accident m…

(a) Every law enforcement officer who, in the regular course of duty, investigates a motor vehicle accident of which a report must be made as required and in accordance with subsections (a), (b), (d) and (e) of this section, either at the time of and at the scene of the accident …

(a) When the death of any person ensues as a proximate result of an injury received by the operation of any vehicle in reckless disregard of the safety of others, including violations of § 31-27-22, the person so operating the vehicle shall be guilty of “driving so as to endanger…

(a) When the serious bodily injury of any person ensues as a proximate result of the operation of any vehicle in reckless disregard of the safety of others, including violations of § 31-27-22, the person so operating the vehicle shall be guilty of “driving so as to endanger, resu…

(a) When the physical injury of any person ensues as a proximate result of the operation of any vehicle in reckless disregard of the safety of others, including violations of § 31-27-22, the person so operating the vehicle shall be guilty of “driving so as to endanger, resulting …

It is unlawful for the owner, or any other person, employing or otherwise directing the driver of any vehicle to require or knowingly to permit the operation of a vehicle upon a highway in any manner contrary to law.

Any person arrested for violating any of the provisions of this title may tender as bail a motor vehicle of which he or she is the owner, and, if the person’s interest in the vehicle is of sufficient value, it may be accepted as security for the person’s appearance in lieu of any…

(a) Any police officer observing the violation of any statute or ordinance relating to the operation, control, or maintenance of a motor vehicle or a violation of subparagraphs 21-28-4.01(c)(2)(iii) and 21-28-4.01(c)(2)(iv), shall at the time or place of the violation or, if it i…

(a) The summonses and related records shall be in a form approved by the chief magistrate of the traffic tribunal and subject to the approval of the supreme court. Summonses and related records shall be numbered consecutively with each summons and its related records bearing the …

The books or pads as provided in § 31-27-12.1(c) shall be distributed as follows: (1) The administrative clerk of the judicial department shall distribute books or pads containing the summonses and related records to all courts having jurisdiction over the violation of any statut…

(a)(1) Responsibility of individual officer. At or before the completion of his or her tour of duty, every police officer who has issued a summons from his or her book or pad shall retain a copy of the summons and shall deliver to the chief administrative officer of his or her de…

Upon the deposit of the complaint and the division of motor vehicle record of a violation with the court having jurisdiction of the alleged violations, the complaint of the violation shall be disposed of only by trial in the court or by other official action by a judge of the cou…

(a) It is a civil violation for any person to violate any of the provisions of chapters 1 — 27 or chapter 34 of this title, unless the violation is by these chapters or other law of this state declared to be a felony or a misdemeanor, or unless the offense is punishable by a fine…

Any person who is convicted of a violation of any provision of chapters 1 — 27 of this title, by this chapter or by the laws of this state declared to constitute a felony, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five (5) years, or by a fine of n…

(a) All fines and forfeitures collected upon conviction or upon forfeiture of bail of any person charged with a violation of any of the provisions of chapters 1 — 46 of this title shall be deposited in the treasury of the state. (b) Provided, a city or town police department, enf…

Any person eighteen (18) years of age or older who shall knowingly permit a person under the age of eighteen (18) years to operate a motorcycle as defined in § 31-3-1(h) when either the person under the age of eighteen (18) years of age is not licensed in accordance with the prov…

The court and/or the traffic tribunal shall collect, in addition to any fine set forth in this title for a motor vehicle violation, and at the time of the assessment of the fine, an additional assessment of one dollar ($1.00) for each motor vehicle violation of this title. The on…

(a) Except as provided in § 31-15-17, no person shall operate any motor vehicle on a bicycle lane, trail or path, as defined in § 31-1-23(a). (b) Any person who operates a motor vehicle upon any bicycle lane, trail or path shall be punishable by a fine of one hundred dollars ($10…

(a) Whoever drives or otherwise operates any vehicle in the state while under the influence of any intoxicating liquor, drugs, toluene, or any controlled substance as defined in chapter 28 of title 21, or any combination of these, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, except as provi…

(a) Any person who operates a motor vehicle within this state shall be deemed to have given his or her consent to chemical tests of his or her breath, blood, saliva and/or urine for the purpose of determining the chemical content of his or her body fluids or breath. No more than …

(a) When the death of any person other than the operator ensues as a proximate result of an injury received by the operation of any vehicle, the operator of which is under the influence of any intoxicating liquor, toluene, or any controlled substance as defined in chapter 28 of t…