(a)  No person shall operate a bicycle or motor vehicle upon any highway while wearing earphones, a headset, headphone, or other listening device. Any person who violates this section shall be fined: (1) eighty-five dollars ($85.00) for the first offense, (2) ninety-five dollars ($95.00) for the second offense, and (3) one hundred forty dollars ($140) for the third and each subsequent offense.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-23-51

  • Motor vehicle: means any vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power for use on the public streets, roads, and highways;

    (2)  "Odometer" means an instrument for measuring and recording the actual distance a motor vehicle travels while in operation;

    (3)  "Person" means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or business trust including, but not limited to, private individuals and motor vehicle dealers, both wholesale and retail, whether the private individual or dealer is a dealer in the ordinary course of business or not;

    (4)  "Repair and replacement" means to restore to a sound working condition by replacing the instrument or any part thereof or by correcting what is inoperative;

    (5)  "Transfer" means to acquire ownership by purchase, gift, bequest, or any other means. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-23.2-2

  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6

(b)  This section shall not apply to:

(1)  Any emergency vehicle operator using an integrated intercom system;

(2)  Any person operating a motorcycle who is using a headset installed in a helmet and worn so as to prevent the speakers from making direct contact with the user’s ears so that the user can hear surrounding sounds;

(3)  Any person using a headset in conjunction with a cellular telephone that only provides sound through one ear and allows surrounding sounds to be heard with the other ear;

(4)  Any person using a headset in conjunction with the communicating with the central base operation that only provides sound through one ear and allows surrounding sounds to be heard with the other ear;

(5)  Any person using a hearing aid(s) or instrument for the improvement of hearing.

(c)  The department of motor vehicles shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

History of Section.
P.L. 1983, ch. 234, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 72, § 1; P.L. 2002, ch. 58, § 4; P.L. 2002, ch. 292, § 127; P.L. 2002, ch. 312, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 100, art. 12, § 10; P.L. 2013, ch. 422, § 1.