State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Rhode-island > Title-31 > Chapter-31-26 > 31-26-13SECTION 31-26-13
§ 31-26-13 Reports confidential – Useas evidence. – (a) All accident reports made by persons involved in accidents, or by garages,shall be without prejudice to the individual so reporting and shall be for theconfidential use of the division of motor vehicles or other state or municipalagencies having use for the records for accident prevention purposes or for theadministration of the laws of this state relating to the deposit of securityand proof of financial responsibility by persons driving or the owners of motorvehicles.
(b) The division of motor vehicles may disclose the identityof a person involved in an accident when the identity is not otherwise known orwhen the person denies his or her presence at the accident, and except that thereports, as well as police reports, may be used by the division of motorvehicles, together with any other evidence that the division of motor vehiclesmay deem appropriate, to make determinations as to the reasonable possibilityof a judgment being rendered for purposes of requiring security after anaccident involving one or more uninsured motorists.
(c) No report shall be used as evidence in any trial, civilor criminal, arising out of an accident, except that the division of motorvehicles shall furnish upon demand of any person who has, or claims to have,made a report or upon demand of any court, a certificate showing that aspecified accident report has or has not been made to the division of motorvehicles solely to prove a compliance or a failure to comply with therequirement that a report be made to the division. Provided, that in the eventan accident report has not been filed, then the failure to file the reportshall be considered to be prima facie evidence that the operator and/or theregistered owner of the motor vehicle involved was uninsured at the time of theaccident.
