§ 31-23-37 — § 31-23-37. Transporting hazardous substances.

§ 31-23-37. Transporting hazardous substances.

(a) For the purpose of this section, "explosives and other hazardous materialsâ€� is defined as those materials and substances described and classified as such by the hazardous materials regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (parts of the Code of Federal Regulations as prescribed under Title 18 U.S.C. §§ 831, 836, as amended).

(b) No person, corporation, or other agency shall ship in its own vehicle or tender to any carrier any shipment of explosives or other hazardous materials unless the shipments are made in full compliance with the regulations cited in subsection (a) of this section.

(c) No person, corporation, or other agency shall operate upon any highway in this state a vehicle carrying explosives or other hazardous materials unless the vehicle is in compliance in all respects with the regulations applicable to the transportation of such materials or substances cited in subsection (a) of this section.

(d)(1) Any person, corporation, or other agency convicted of violating this section shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), or imprisoned for one year, for the first offense, and shall be fined not less than two hundred dollars ($200) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or imprisoned for one year for each subsequent offense.

(2) If death or injury results from any violation of this section, the fine shall be not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and the period of imprisonment not more than ten (10) years.

Legislative History

P.L. 1950, ch. 2595, art. 34, § 40; G.L. 1956, § 31-23-37; P.L. 1962, ch. 205, § 1; P.L. 1963, ch. 10, § 1; P.L. 1968, ch. 75, § 1; P.L. 1972, ch. 177, § 1; P.L. 1993, ch. 101, § 1.