AAA Southern New England - Public Affairs

•Listing of Proposed Legislation

•Rhode Island Passes Two Highway Safety Laws

Listing of Proposed Legislation

The Rhode Island General Assembly is presently in session. Robert P. Murray, the Club’s Senior Vice President-Corporate Affairs, is a Registered Lobbyist and advocates on behalf of AAA Members and the Motoring Public. Mr. Murray testifies on transportation legislation, including proposals for better highways, traffic safety, uniform traffic laws, transportation funding, driver education, and preventing traffic crashes.

Additional Bills

The Auto Club has taken positions in favor of passage of the following proposed legislation:

06-H 6700 Sub A – Motor Vehicle Offenses – DWI: Increases the penalties for refusing to submit to a chemical test.

Introduced by Representatives O’Neill, Ginaitt, Church, Kilmartin, and Jackson.

This act would increase the penalties for refusing to submit to a chemical test, including, but not limited to, the requirement of not less than one hundred (100) hours of community restitution. This act would also require the attorney general to file with the general assembly an annual impaired driving report identifying cases involving impaired and drunk driving, and breathalyzer refusals.

Status – House Judiciary recommends passage. House passes Sub A. Bill referred to Senate Judiciary.

06-S 2072 – Relating to Motor Vehicles – DWI: Increases the penalties for Failure to Submit to a Chemical Test. (Governor/Attorney General)

Introduced by Senators Polisena, Damiani, Algiere, McCaffrey, and Sosnowski.

This act would increase penalties for refusal to submit to a chemical test.

Status – Senate Judiciary Committee recommends passage. Senate passed as amended. Referred to House Judiciary.

06-S 2068 – Relating to Motor Vehicles Offenses – DWI: Peace Officer to request a Search Warrant. (Attorney General)

Introduced by Senators Polisena, Damiani, Algiere, McCaffrey, and Sosnowski.

This act would allow a peace officer to request a search warrant which would allow the taking of blood, breath or urine, or perform a chemical test if probably cause exists to believe that an individual has been driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotics.

Status – Senate Judiciary recommends passage. Senate passes S-2068. Referred to House Judiciary.

06-H 6765 Sub A as amended – Relating to Motor and Other Vehicle Offenses – Driving Under the Influence

Introduced by Representatives Shanley, O’Neill, Lewiss, San Bento, and Kilmartin.

This act would impose a mandatory ignition interlock system for persons convicted of a second and subsequent offense of driving under the influence of liquor or drugs.

Status – House Judiciary recommends passage of Sub A as amended. Placed on House Calendar. House votes to recommit to House Judiciary.

06-H 7372 Sub A – Miscellaneous Rules – Prohibit use of cell phones by minors during operation of a motor vehicle.

Introduced by Representatives Kilmartin, Moran, McNamara, Long, and McManus

This act would prohibit the use of cell phones by any person under the age of 18 during the operation of a motor vehicle. Any person who violates this act will be punished by a fine of fifty dollars ($50).

Status – House Judiciary recommends passage of Sub A. House passes Sub A. Referred to Senate Judiciary.

06-S 2180 – Relating to Motor and Other Vehicles – Operators’ and Chauffeurs’ Licenses

Introduced by Senators Walaska, Bates, Doyle, and Gallo

This act would prohibit the use of cell phones or any other wireless communication device by a license permittee or provisional licensee while operating a motor vehicle.

Status – Senate Judiciary recommends passed. Senate passes S-2108. Referred to House Judiciary.

S 2451 – Operators’ Licenses – Mobile Telephone Use Prohibited

Introduced by Senators Sosnowski, Roberts, Lenihan, and Perry.

This act would prohibit any driver under the age of 18-years-old from using a mobile telephone or a hands-free device while operating a motor vehicle on a public highway. A violation of this act will be punished by a fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) and/or loss of license until the user reaches his/her 18th birthday.

Status –Senate Judiciary recommends passage. Senate passes S-2451. Referred to House Judiciary. Committee recommends holding for further study.

06-S 2444 – Relating to Motor Vehicles – Safety Belt Use (transportation)

Introduced by Senators Blais, and Gibbs

This act would make violations of the safety belt law a primary offense commencing on July 1, 2006.

Status – Senate Judiciary recommends measure be held for further study.

06-H 7378 – Relating to Motor Vehicles – Safety Belt Use (transportation)

Introduced by Representatives Story, Almeida, Ginaitt, Anguilla, and Amaral

This act would make violations of the safety belt law a primary offense commencing on July 1, 2006.

Status – House Judiciary recommends measure be held for further study.

06-H 7371 – Motor Vehicles – Motor Vehicle Offenses

Introduced by Representatives Kilmartin, Moran, McNamara, Long, and McManus

This act would create a secondary motor vehicle offense, inattentive driving, to a primary moving violation offense punishable by a $50 fine.

Status – House Judiciary recommends measure be held for further study.

The Auto Club has taken a position is opposition to the following proposed legislation:

06-H 6774– Roadside Service

Introduced by Representatives McHugh, Almeida, Anguilla, Gemma and D Caprio

This act would fine roadside assistance providers fifty ($50.00) for each failure to arrive within thirty (30) minutes of a service request.

Status – House Corporations Committee recommended measure be held for further study.

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Rhode Island Passes Two Highway Safety Laws

(L-R) AAA Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Robert P. Murray, State Senator John J. Tassoni Jr., and State Representative Joseph M. McNamara discuss the two new laws that passed with their support.

With the strong support of AAA Southern New England, Rhode Island lawmakers recently passed two new laws related to highway safety. One limits the number of passengers allowed in cars driven by people with provisional licenses, and the other provides statutory protection to roadside assistance drivers while they service disabled vehicles on the highway.
Robert P. Murray, AAA Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and the Club’s Legislative Agent to the Rhode Island General Assembly, noted that State Representative Joseph M. McNamara and State Senator John J. Tassoni Jr. have teamed up for the past several years in sponsoring companion bills dealing with highway safety issues.
“The Auto Club is pleased to be able to work closely with Rep. McNamara and Sen. Tassoni to improve highway safety and to decrease the number of lives lost and the number of those injured in motor vehicle crashes on Rhode Island highways,” he said.
The enhancement to the state’s graduated driver’s license program places stipulations on the number and ages of passengers allowed in vehicles driven by novice drivers with provisional licenses.
According to The National Safety Council, research evidence indicates that for 16- to 17-year-old drivers, multiple passengers increase crash risk to four times greater than while driving alone.
Both bills were sponsored by Rep. McNamara, who represents District 19 in Cranston and Warwick, and Sen. Tassoni, who represents District 22 in Smithfield and North Smithfield.
“We have been working for over a decade to perfect this legislation,” Rep. McNamara said.
The legislation states that, during the 12 months of the provisional license, no more than one passenger younger than 21 is allowed in the vehicle. Immediate family and household members are exempt from this requirement.
Because of inexperience and inadequate driving skills, the road can be an extremely risky place for teen drivers. Provisional licensing allows young drivers to gain experience under less risky situations. According to the Journal of Safety Research, “nighttime driving restrictions have been shown to effectively reduce the number and rate of crash involvements on the part of teenage drivers, especially in the context of a provisional licensing system.”
“There is a critical need to add these additional restrictions to the legislation,” said Representative McNamara. “Extensive research – not guessing – has determined that having passengers in the car increases the likelihood of a fatal injury in young drivers, and this risk directly increases with the number of passengers in the car. This bill will save lives.”
Sen. Tassoni and Rep. McNamara also teamed up to introduce companion bills suggested by AAA Southern New England that provide statutory protection to tow trucks, transportation vehicles (flatbeds), and roadside assistance vehicles displaying flashing amber lights while assisting a disabled motor vehicle.
This extends the present law on “conditions requiring reduced speed” and provides a $75 fine for violations.
Sen. Tassoni said that this new law should provide a measure of legal protection to those valiant roadside assistance drivers who assist the motoring public in extremely dangerous situations along the state’s highways.
In recent years, two of the Club’s tow truck drivers were brushed by passing vehicles while servicing Club members. In Massachusetts, two drivers for an AAA contract facility were struck and killed by a passing car.

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