Rhode Island Car Insurance Laws

The Ocean State is the second most densely populated state in the USA. Purely, this high population implies enormous amounts of auto traffic and insurance policies for car insurers. In such a mass of vehicles, human frailty is bound to rear its hideous head, and the only way to thwart it is the application of a code of laws. Make sure you are prepared for the road in Rhode Island by entering your ZIP code into our FREE auto insurance rate comparison tool.

Rhode Island is a Tort state. Any accident is always pegged on a human cause and that person must be able to pay for the body injury or damages to the property of others. These payments are usually handled at the at-fault person’s insurance company. In a Tort state like Rhode Island, a proper auto insurance guide will advise that a motorist should have a larger coverage than the minimum state requirement so that all the costs are well taken care-of. Enter your ZIP code into our FREE car insurance comparison tool to find rates for multiple amounts of coverage!

Auto insurance is compulsory in Rhode Island. No automobile is registered without meeting the requirements of the law.

The minimum compulsory insurance limits are:

Bodily Injury Liability

A minimum of $25, 000 is required as bodily injury liability payment for a single person hurt in an accident. For more than one person hurt in an accident, the Rhode Island insurance laws require up to $50,000 per accident. The two charges are notated as $25000/$50,000, or simply as 25/50. To get this coverage as cheaply as possible, make sure your credit score is good when car insurance companies check credit.

Property Damage Liability

The minimum amount of money to pay for damaged property is set at $25,000. This amount of money only covers the damage to the other party hurt by you in the accident. If you want to be covered, ensure you buy a comprehensive or collision cover.

Rhode Island laws require that a motorist signs a statement during vehicle registration committing to sustain the insurance coverage always. The individual motorist also commits to carry proof of auto insurance always. Failure to abide by these two commitments would lead to cancellation of the registration and an ultimate ban from plying Rhode Island roads.

Laws Concerning Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist

In Rhode Island the uninsured/ underinsured motorist coverage is not compulsory. Since Rhode Island is Tort, most insurance companies recommend that a motorist buys this cover to help in case of an accident. In the recommended terms, the uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is usually a minimum of $25,000/$50,000.

Laws Concerning Rented Vehicles

Since insurance is mandatory on all vehicles in Rhode Island, it is a gamble to have a rented car without insurance coverage. Usually, most Rhode Island auto insurance policies have adequate coverage even for rented cars. For those who have policies that do not include car rentals, an extra cost of $7-$14 a day would suffice.

Laws on an Excluded Member of a Family

Rhode Island car insurance policies may not cover all the members of a household. Some will be excluded according to the exclusions sections of auto insurance policies. It is very critical to ensure that all members of a household that will drive the vehicle are included in the policy.

Before signing on the dotted line of your car insurance policy, ensure you have thought through key details.

Laws on Lapses

Because it is compulsory to have an insurance policy coverage in Rhode Island, a motorist who has lapses in the cover is deemed uncovered. In that case, the motorist faces confiscation of the driving license if caught driving.

Personal Credit History Law

Rhode Island auto insurance laws allow companies to use a person’s credit history to calculate the monthly premiums for a policy. Therefore, the auto insurance company will consider a person’s credit score, gender, age, residential place, the make and model of the car to be insured, the miles driven by the motorist per annum, and driving history.

Rhode Island DUI Laws

Fatalities on the road in Rhode Island are not so many. It is ranked number 47 in the decreasing order of alcohol-related car collisions in the USA. In 2007, the state recorded 85 mortal car crashes that included 37 deaths due to alcohol-related accidents. This is a 50% fall from the figure recorded between 1982 and 2007.

To ensure its road remains safe, Rhode Island creates and enforces some of the stringent DUI rules in the U.S. For instance, a driver caught driving while drunk faces a compulsory fine, jail term, community service, and license suspension.

The blood alcohol content level (BAC) allowed in Rhode Island roads is 0.08%. It is a crime to drive on this limit or higher. For BAC limits between 0.08% and 0.10%, the penalties are the same. However, with a BAC between 0.10% and 0.15% the penalties are enhanced, with the 0.15% or higher earning a felony charge.

With no administrative license suspension period, an arrested suspect will only have his or her driving license reinstated at the discretion of the judge.

Rhode Island Teen Driving Laws

Rhode Island is managing a good record in teen auto fatalities. To sustain this record, the state has put in place the Graduated Driver Licensing System. This GDL system has three major stages, which are the tutoring permit, the interim license, and the full operator license. To find good car insurance rates as a first time buyer, enter your ZIP code into our FREE car insurance comparison tool now!

During the instruction stage, Rhode Island GDL system requires a teen driver to be at least age 16, and have a DMV application signed by a parent or a guardian. Training lasts 1 year during which the teen driver applies for an interim driving license. At 18, when the interim license expires, a teen is expected to have known proper driving with a clean DUI record to obtain a full operator license. If you’re buying for the first time or reassessing your auto insurance, enter your ZIP code into our FREE comparison tool to find great rates!