Requires any contractor performing construction or maintenance for RIDOT, RITBA or any other construction on any state roads have in place an attenuator truck/crash truck with an operational camera.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would require that any company hired to do construction or maintenance work on Rhode Island's state roads must have a specific type of safety vehicle present at the work site. That vehicle, called an attenuator truck (also known as a "crash truck"), is a specially equipped vehicle designed to absorb the impact of a car that accidentally drives into a road work zone — helping protect both the workers on the ground and the driver of the vehicle. Under this bill, that truck would also need to have a working camera on it.

The bill applies to any contractor working on projects overseen by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) or the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA), as well as any other construction happening on state roads. Essentially, if a company is doing roadwork on a state road in Rhode Island, these safety requirements would apply to them.

The people most directly affected would be road construction and maintenance workers, who would gain an added layer of protection from traffic accidents at work sites. Drivers passing through construction zones could also benefit, since attenuator trucks are designed to reduce the severity of crashes. Contractors would be responsible for having this equipment in place, which could mean additional costs for smaller companies that don't already own or rent this type of vehicle.

The bill has been introduced and sent to the Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs Committee for further review, meaning it has not yet become law.