$1,000 Fines and 15-year terms for road-rage convictions

Rhode Island’s General Laws chapter 31-27 would gain a new section under Casey’s Law, aimed at fights that spill out onto the road. The bill defines road rage as intentionally aggressive, harassing, threatening, intimidating or dangerous behavior by a driver or passenger directed at another motorist on a public highway, roadway or nearby public extension open to the public.

The change is not a new crime by itself. It would let a court add punishment on top of an existing conviction when the underlying offense was committed as a result of road rage.

Extra punishment after the conviction

For a misdemeanor, the added penalty could be a fine of up to $1,000, a driver’s license suspension for as long as one year, or both. For a felony, the bill would allow an added prison term of two to 15 years, a mandatory fine of at least $1,000 and a license suspension of up to five years, or revocation for up to two years.

The proposal also says the road-rage finding would have to be proved before the extra penalty could apply. In practice, that means the rage behind the wheel would matter as much as the offense itself when a judge decides what happens next.