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ColinsLaw.org is committed to educating the public about the dangers of drivers who repeatedly violate motor vehicle laws and the severe consequences of such behavior. We support innovation and implementation of proven traffic safety technology and we actively advocate for legislative change to enact tougher motor vehicle laws so that no other family need suffer the lifelong tragedy of losing a loved one on the roads of our state.

Incredibly, according to our research, until 2022, not a single "Habitual Offender" had been adjudicated under the state's Habitual Offender statute in over 10 years while hundreds have likely qualified. As of June 2022, at our request, the state's new Attorney General, Peter Neronha and his staff, along with the Chief of adjudication at the DMV, have begun to take action to fix this broken system by working together to establish policies and methods to fix the problem. We hope to have a huge announcement on this progress soon.

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Here's a summary of our efforts and results to date:

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• The most notable achievement was the passing of the Colin Foote Act, a RI law that requires driving retraining and community service for drivers who receive 4 or more moving violations within a period of 18 consecutive months.

• Since “Colin’s Law” law was passed, over 700 individuals have completed driver retraining. Of those 700+ multiple-conviction violators, four or five have been charged again! This demonstrates that the Driver Retraining prescribed under "Colin's Law" is working.

• In 2010, ColinsLaw.Org sponsored a free seminar to inform and educate lawmakers and municipal executives about the life-saving benefit of “red-light camera technology”. We continue to seek and report on new, life-saving technology to lower the incidence of not only serious intersection crashes, but other emerging safety technology.

• Just two days short of the 2nd anniversary of Colin's death, May 14, 2012, the Charlestown Town Council voted to contract with a leading vendor for the installation of red light cameras in the town's most dangerous intersections.

• According to the Governors Highway Safety Assoc., as of March 2013, red light camera technology was permitted by law, state-wide in RI. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “Red-light cameras are a proven, effective enforcement tool and they're making intersections safer”.

• This technology is operating today at two critical intersections along Rhode Island Rt. 1, one of which is where Colin Foote was killed. Records show that these 2 intersections have the most red light incursions of any other in the state.

• The state of Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles has finally implemented a system and infrastructure, as required by law, to identify, track and adjudicate Habitual Offenders where such a system had not been in place before the death of Colin Foote.

 

In spite of our accomplishments over the past 12 years, further work needs to be done. Repeat traffic offenders must be prevented from continuing to wreak havoc on the lives of our citizens. There has not been a sufficient legislative deterrent in place when a totally innocent person's life is taken as a result of a driver who is repeatedly arrested for operating a motor vehicle in a reckless and careless manner which threatens the lives of others. A maximum 10 year sentence for killing another human with a car is a totally inadequate punishment for the crime.

We will continue to educate about and advocate for even newer and more innovative intersection and vehicular safety technology. There are some very promising technologies under development and implementation by automobile manufacturers. In order for us to continue this work, we need continued public and private donations and support of our efforts. 

 

PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING OUR CAUSE TODAY!

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