House approves McNamara legislation to protect vulnerable road users

 

STATE HOUSE — The House of Representatives today passed legislation introduced by Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston) that would protect vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists.

The bill (2021-H 5093) would provide for specific fines and sanctions to operators of motor vehicles who fail to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a vulnerable road user causing injury, serious injury, or death to the vulnerable road user.

“This was a 3.4 percent increase in national pedestrian fatalities in 2018, and a 6.3 percent increase in bicyclist fatalities,” said Representative McNamara. “As a lifelong cyclist, I’ve noticed motor vehicles coming a lot closer to vulnerable road users — often dangerously close. I’m sure distracted driving has led to this — at least in part. This legislation will provide a layer of protection to those who share the road with automobiles.”

The bill, which has the support of the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition, defines vulnerable road user as a pedestrian; a bicyclist; a police officer or emergency worker on duty when outside of a vehicle; a highway worker performing duties outside of a vehicle; a person riding on or driving a wheelchair, motorized or not; a person using a skateboard, inline skate, or roller skates; a person riding on or driving an animal; or a person riding on a scooter.

Those found in violation would be fined $200 for a collision resulting in bodily injury, $500 for serious bodily injury, or $1,000 for a collision resulting in death.

The measure now moves to the Senate, where similar legislation (2021-S 0318) has been introduced by Sen. Stephen R. Archambault (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, North Providence, Johnston).

 

 Follow us on social media! 

 

Republicans have advanced President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" in the House. The spending package is now open for debate after hours spent trying to find enough votes to clear an important legislative hurdle.        The Pentagon says Iran's nuclear program has been set back close to two years after U.S. strikes. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell gave the assessment Wednesday -- one that's more optimistic than what UN inspectors have said. The U.S. military has said three key nuclear sites were significantly damaged by more than a dozen bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles.        The Wisconsin Supreme Court is stopping a state abortion ban. The 1849 near-total abortion ban had technically retaken effect after the Supreme Court overturned federal abortion rights, however, abortion providers in the state resumed the procedure in 2023 after a judge ruled the ban was superseded by a more recent law. Wisconsin Supreme Court judges voted four to three, along ideological lines, to affirm the lower court's ruling that overturned the ban and left in place a more recent law allowing most abortions until about the 20th week of pregnancy.        The firefighter injured in an Idaho ambush Sunday is doing better. Dave Tysdal was critically injured. Doctors are optimistic, but he faces a long recovery. Battalion Chiefs Frank Harwood and John Morrison were killed in the shooting.        Police say a congressional intern was killed in a Washington, DC shooting earlier this week. Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was struck by gunfire when multiple suspects opened fire on a group of people on Monday. He was an intern in the office of Republican Representative Ron Estes of Kansas.        Funeral plans for Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart are set. He died this week at his Louisiana home at the age of 90. There will be a public viewing at the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge one week from Saturday. Services will be the following Sunday.