Rhode Island: State of Driving

Covering just 1,214 square miles, Rhode Island is the smallest U.S. state. But it's the second-most densely populated, and it has 12,915 miles of roads – all of which seem to go somewhere worth visiting. Busy Interstate 95 runs through Rhode Island, but get off the highway and you'll find the lively city streets of the burgeoning capital city, Providence; the quiet roads that wind through picturesque small towns like Bristol and Little Compton; and the scenic routes that lead to favorite beaches like Misquamicut and Napatree Point.

 

Rhode Island is relatively flat, but its scenery is diverse, and its weather ranges from occasionally severe to seasonally stunning. And for the most part, if you want to fully experience all this state has to offer, it really helps if you own a car.

 

So whether you're commuting to Pawtucket, taking a leisurely drive down to Little Compton, or crossing the bridge for a weekend in Newport, here's what you need to know before you head out on the road in the Ocean State:

 

Rhode Island requires drivers to purchase, at minimum, the following insurance coverage:

 

Liability insurance pays for property damage or injury to others if you are found responsible for a crash. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage protects you if you are involved in an accident where the other driver is not properly insured. In Rhode Island, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may be declined if a driver chooses to purchase only the minimum required bodily injury and property damage coverage.

 

Drivers may also purchase additional liability insurance, as well as other types of coverage such as collision, comprehensive, or medical payments coverage.

 

Rhode Island is proud of its local quirks, from its very long name – the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations – to its penchant for distinctive beverages: Del's frozen lemonade, iced coffee consumed year round, and coffee milk, the official Rhode Island State Drink, which perplexes out-of-state visitors.

 

The state also has a history of unusual firsts, like America's first lunch wagon (Providence, 1872), first nine-hole golf course (Newport, 1890), and first all-marble dome atop a building (the Rhode Island State House, completed 1901.)

 

Unsurprisingly, given how much Rhode Islanders drive today, some of these firsts involve automobiles. The first car race on a track was held in Cranston in 1896, and the first automobile parade took place in Newport in 1899. Also in Newport, in 1904, a judge handed down the first jail sentence for speeding in an automobile. (The guilty driver was going 15 mph.) As it happens, the first traffic law was also written in Newport, all the way back in 1678. It didn't apply to cars, of course: Newport authorities outlawed galloping horses on local streets.

 

 

In 2015, according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 84 percent of traffic-related fatalities in Rhode Island were the result of crashes on urban roads, and 16 percent of rural roads. (The total number of fatalities, 45, was the second-lowest in the nation; only the District of Columbia had fewer.) The rural-urban split in Rhode Island traffic deaths was similar to those of its fellow densely populated Southern New England states, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

 

Of course, that doesn't mean you don't need to stay alert and drive carefully in rural areas, too. While Rhode Island's less-traveled byways lead to some of the loveliest historic villages and natural areas in the region, one study of the condition of America's rural roads found them to be the worst in the nation.

 

 

If you want to save on gas no matter what the price happens to be at the pump, you can increase your vehicle's fuel efficiency by changing your daily driving habits.

 

 

Your state's unemployment rate can affect you even if you're not looking for a new job. If you drive, your commute – and your weekend getaway – can change depending on how the local economy is doing. First, a higher employment rate leads to more commuters driving to work, and heavier traffic to navigate. (And in a state like Rhode Island, where urban crashes are already more deadly, this is an added reason to be as careful as possible on the highway at rush hour.) Second, the more people become employed, the more cash they have for leisure activates like shopping, dining out, and filling their gas tank to head to the beach or shopping mall. More paychecks also enable people to buy new cars. So all of that means more rush hour traffic in Cranston and Providence during the week, and more cars trying to get across the Newport Bridge and onto the Block Island Ferry on weekends.

 

These days, when we think of distracted driving, we usually picture someone texting or checking Twitter behind the wheel. But it can also refer to driving while eating lunch, talking with passengers, or doing anything that takes your attention away from the road. Rhode Island's Office on Highway Safety lists distracted driving as a risky behavior alongside driving under the influence or not wearing a seat belt, noting that if you text and drive, you're “23 times more likely to get into a crash – much higher odds than those driving with a blood alcohol content of .08."

 

It's also illegal; in the Ocean State, the use of handheld devices while driving is prohibited, with the exception of emergency calls. Beginning in June 2018, drivers caught holding an electronic communication device can be fined up to $100. Drivers under 18 may not use any handheld or hands-free device.

 

In Rhode Island, driver's licenses are issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV.) If you are between 16 and 18 years old and want to get a driver's license in Rhode Island, your first step is to apply for a Limited Instruction Permit. Applicants must have completed a 33-hour driver education course and passed a written exam. (You may begin the course at age 15 years and 10 months.) The permit is valid for one year, and you may take a road test after holding your permit for six months. You can get a Limited Provisional License after completing a minimum of 50 hours of supervised practice driving (including 10 hours of night driving), and a Full Operator's License once you are 17 years old and have held a Limited Provisional License for at least 12 months.

 

If you're beginning the process at 18 or older, you can apply for an Instruction Permit. A driver education course is not required, but you will need to take a computerized knowledge exam and pass a road test.

 

Drivers under 18 are prohibited from using cellphones, both handheld and hands-free.

 

Rhode Island's DMV publishes a Supervised Driving Guide for parents, but once your new driver moves on to the stage when they're allowed to drive without supervision, you can still keep an eye on their safety by monitoring your teen's driving.

 

Driving in Rhode Island can be frustrating, if you're dealing with winter weather or congested highways. But when you're driving down a country road admiring the fall foliage, or crossing an iconic bridge above boats bobbing in the harbor, this small state can feel like the best place in America to be behind the wheel. But no matter where you're going, keeping yourself informed about local laws and regulations will help you stay safe on the highways and byways of the Ocean State.