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H 7638Bikes & Pedestrians

Motor and Other Vehicles - Right-of-Way

This bill changes the fine for drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians to match standard traffic violation penalties.

Signed into law36 Yea0 Nay1 Not voting
Population
Affected
35
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 11, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates the penalty for drivers who fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. Currently, the law specifies a maximum fine of $75.00 for this violation. The bill removes this specific dollar amount and instead links the penalty to the general schedule of traffic violation fines found in a different section of the General Laws (Section 31.41.1-4). This change effectively standardizes the fine for pedestrian right-of-way violations by subjecting them to the established list of fines used for other traffic infractions.

For younger readers

There are rules that say cars must stop to let people walk across the street safely. Right now, if a driver breaks this rule, they have to pay a specific amount of money as a punishment. This new law changes that rule. Instead of listing a specific price in this part of the law, it says the punishment will follow the same list used for other driving mistakes. This updates the law to make sure the punishment fits with other traffic rules.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
DriversPedestriansPolice OfficersTraffic CourtsVehicle Owners
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Promotes pedestrian safety by potentially increasing penalties for drivers who endanger walkers, creating a stronger deterrent against reckless driving.
  • Standardizes penalties within the traffic code, ensuring that violations affecting pedestrian rights are treated with the same weight as other moving violations.
  • Prioritizes the well-being of non-drivers and community members who rely on walking or public transit by reinforcing legal protections for crosswalks.
  • Relies on monetary fines which act as a regressive penalty, disproportionately harming low-income individuals while failing to impact wealthier drivers.
  • Does not implement income-based sliding scale fines, meaning the financial punishment could be devastating for a working-class family but negligible for others.
  • Could lead to increased police interactions and traffic stops, which historically have disproportionately affected marginalized communities.
For Conservatives
  • Strengthens the rule of law by ensuring traffic violations have standardized penalties, maintaining order and predictability on public roadways.
  • Streamlines the legal code by referencing a central fine schedule rather than maintaining conflicting or outdated specific fines in different sections.
  • Promotes personal responsibility by holding drivers accountable for adhering to established traffic regulations regarding right-of-way.
  • Removes the transparency of a specific fine amount from the statute, forcing citizens to cross-reference other laws to understand the potential penalty.
  • Could be utilized as a revenue-generating mechanism for the state if the referenced fine schedule is significantly higher than the previous $75 limit.
  • Increases government regulation on drivers, potentially leading to more aggressive enforcement and ticketing for minor infractions.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 2 additions · 2 deletions

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 31-17-5.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-17 entitled "Right-Of- Way" is hereby amended to read as follows: 31-17-5.1. Penalties. Any person who violates any provision of §§ 31-17-1 — 31-17-5, pertaining to the right- of-way of pedestrians, upon conviction, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than seventy- five ($75.00) subject to the fines enumerated in § 31.41.1-4.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.