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Rhode Island driving lesson · Collisions & Law Enforcement Stops

Common Causes & Collision Violations

A 2-minute lesson from the Rhode Island course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
2 minutes
Course unit
Collisions & Law Enforcement Stops
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
65, 66

Most collisions can be avoided. The handbook's list of common causes reads like a summary of this whole course—human error, speed, alcohol, distraction and failing to yield top the list.

Common causes—driver behavior:

  • Driver/human error
  • Speeding
  • Driving after drinking and/or using drugs
  • Driving too fast for conditions (rain, snow, sleet, ice, construction)
  • Inattention due to wireless communication devices
  • Tailgating the vehicle ahead
Handbook p. 65 ↗

Common causes—position and conditions:

  • Driving left of the center line (wrong side of the road)
  • Not looking when pulling away from the curb
  • Not yielding the right-of-way
  • Vehicle malfunctions (defective vehicle)
  • Roadway problems: construction, potholes, gravel, sand
Handbook p. 65 ↗

Violations resulting from a collision

Violations resulting from a collision
LawDutyResult
RIGL 31-26-1Stop after a crash with personal injury or deathFelony
RIGL 31-26-2Stop after a crash damaging a vehicleCourt appearance
RIGL 31-26-4Duty after hitting an unattended vehicleCourt appearance
RIGL 31-26-5Duty after damaging highway fixturesCourt appearance
Handbook p. 66 ↗

Know the rule

Failing to stop after a collision that injures or kills someone is a felony.

Handbook p. 66 ↗

Know the rule

Report all collisions to the nearest state or local police immediately.

Handbook p. 65 ↗

Put it into practice

A driver clips a guardrail at night and keeps going because 'no one was hurt.' Damaging highway fixtures carries a duty to act, and violating it means a court appearance.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

Which of these is listed as a common cause of motor vehicle collisions?
  1. Driving in the right lane
  2. Driving with headlights on in daytime
  3. Driving a larger vehicle
  4. Driving too close to the vehicle in front of you

Answer: Driving too close to the vehicle in front of you

Tailgating, or driving too close to the vehicle ahead, is listed as a common cause of collisions.

Handbook p. 65 ↗
Under RIGL 31-26-1, what is the classification for failing to stop after a collision resulting in personal injury or death?
  1. Felony
  2. Misdemeanor
  3. Civil infraction only
  4. Court appearance only

Answer: Felony

RIGL 31-26-1, the duty to stop in collisions resulting in personal injury or death, is classified as a felony.

Handbook p. 66 ↗
What is required under RIGL 31-26-4, duty on collision with an unattended vehicle?
  1. A felony conviction automatically
  2. A court appearance
  3. Nothing, if damage is under $500
  4. Only a written warning

Answer: A court appearance

RIGL 31-26-4, duty in collision with an unattended vehicle, requires a court appearance.

Handbook p. 66 ↗
What is required under RIGL 31-26-5, duty in collision resulting in damage to highway fixtures?
  1. An automatic felony charge
  2. A court appearance
  3. No action is required if damage is minor
  4. Payment to the DMV within 24 hours

Answer: A court appearance

RIGL 31-26-5, duty in collision resulting in damage to highway fixtures, requires a court appearance.

Handbook p. 66 ↗
True or False: Not yielding the right-of-way is listed among the common causes of collisions.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Not yielding the right-of-way is listed among the common causes of motor vehicle collisions.

Handbook p. 65 ↗
True or False: Speeding is listed as a common cause of motor vehicle collisions.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Speeding is listed among the most common causes of motor vehicle collisions.

Handbook p. 65 ↗
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