Rhode Island · Handbook chapter 3 · 5 min read

Rhode Island seat belt and child seat law, stopping distance, turns, turnabouts, four-way stops, parking limits, passing and backing.

Why this chapter matters

This is the core of everyday driving: belts, stopping, turning, parking and passing. Many test questions come from the distances and rules in this part of the manual.

Before you start the engine

Check around the vehicle for objects, animals or people. Then lock the doors, adjust the seat, mirrors, head restraint and steering wheel, fasten your belt and make sure passengers fasten theirs.

Seat belts and child restraints

• Rhode Island's seat belt law is a primary law for all ages: police can stop you if anyone is unbuckled.
• The driver is responsible for passengers being belted. The fine is $40 per occupant for those 18 and older.
• A child under 8 who is under 57 inches and under 80 pounds must ride in a rear seat in an approved child restraint. A child under 8 who is at least 57 inches or 80 pounds wears a belt in a rear seat.
• Children from 8 to under 18 must be belted in any seat.
• The fine for a child in the front seat, or a child over 7 not belted, is $85; a child not in a required restraint means a court appearance.
• Infants ride rear-facing in the back seat until at least 1 year and 20 pounds.

Stopping your vehicle

• Total stopping distance = perception distance + reaction distance + braking distance.
• The average driver takes about three-quarters of a second to apply the brake after seeing danger.
• Braking distance is much longer on wet or icy roads. Roads are especially slippery when rain first starts, as oil, rubber and dirt mix with the water.
• Velocitizing is feeling you are going slower than you are, after long highway driving. Watch your speed on exit ramps.
• Hydroplaning is when the front tires ride up on water and you lose steering. Keep tires properly inflated, slow down in rain and avoid pooled water.

Turns

• One-sixth of all crashes happen when a vehicle is turning left.
• Signal in good time, at least 100 feet before turning. For a left turn, move to the left side of your lane (lane position 2); for a right turn, keep to the far right. Do not swing left before a right turn.
• Do not turn your wheels toward your path until the way is clear to make the turn.
• On a left turn, yield to oncoming traffic; on any turn, yield to pedestrians in the street.

Turnabouts

Before a U-turn or three-point turn, make sure no sign forbids it, you can see 500 feet in each direction, you are at least 200 feet from an intersection, there are no hills or curves nearby, and you would not cross a double yellow line. A U-turn is allowed only where permitted and when it does not interfere with traffic.

Stopping and parking

• At a STOP sign, stop before the crosswalk; if there is none, at the stop line; if none, where you can see the cross traffic. The manual advises a full stop of about three seconds to look left, right and left again.
• At a four-way stop, the first to stop goes first. If two arrive together, yield to the vehicle on your right.
• Never park: on a sidewalk, in an intersection, on a bridge or in a tunnel, on railroad tracks, double-parked, or in front of a driveway.
• Distances: within 8 feet of a fire hydrant; within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection; within 30 feet of a flashing signal, STOP sign or traffic light; within 20 feet of a fire station driveway (or 75 feet across the street where signed); within 50 feet of a railroad crossing.
• When parked on a two-way road, the right wheels must be no more than 12 inches from the curb or edge.
• When pulling out from a driveway, stop at the sidewalk to check for pedestrians, then again at the curb line to check traffic.

Passing and backing

• On multi-lane roads, pass on the left and drive in the right lane. When someone passes you, slow slightly and keep right.
• Pass only one vehicle at a time, and never go over the speed limit to pass. Return to the right lane when you can see the passed vehicle's tires in your inside mirror.
• You may pass on the right only when the vehicle ahead is turning left, or on a road or one-way street with room for two or more lanes. Never leave the pavement to pass.
• Do not pass on hills or curves, at intersections or railroad crossings, over solid lines, or entering a bridge or tunnel.
• When backing more than 30 feet, the manual recommends hazard lights. Look over your right shoulder as you back.