Chapter 10.08
TRAFFIC ADMINISTRATION
Sections:
10.08.010 Traffic division – Established.
10.08.020 Traffic division – Duties.
10.08.030 Traffic accidents – Studies.
10.08.040 Traffic accidents – Reports.
10.08.050 Annual traffic safety reports.
10.08.060 Authority of police and fire department officials.
10.08.070 Obedience to traffic laws required.
10.08.080 Obedience to police and fire department officials required.
10.08.090 Obedience by persons riding bicycles or animals required.
10.08.100 Persons other than officials not to direct traffic.
10.08.110 Public employees to obey traffic regulations.
10.08.120 Exemptions to certain vehicles.
10.08.130 Report of damage to certain property.
10.08.010 Traffic division – Established.
There is established in the police department a traffic division to be under the control of an officer of police appointed by and directly responsible to the chief of police. (Prior code § 3-5.201)
10.08.020 Traffic division – Duties.
It shall be the duty of the traffic division, with such aid as may be rendered by other members of the police department, to enforce the street traffic regulations of the city and all the vehicle laws of the state applicable to street traffic in the city, to make arrests for traffic violations, to investigate traffic accidents, and to cooperate with the traffic authority and with other officers of the city in the administration of the traffic laws and in developing ways and means to improve traffic conditions, and to carry out those duties specially imposed upon the traffic division by this chapter and the traffic laws of the city. (Prior code § 3-5.202)
10.08.030 Traffic accidents – Studies.
Whenever the accidents at any particular location become numerous, the traffic division shall cooperate with the traffic authority in conducting studies of such accidents and in determining remedial measures. (Prior code § 3-5.203)
10.08.040 Traffic accidents – Reports.
The traffic division shall maintain a suitable system of filing traffic accident reports. Accident reports or cards referring to them shall be filed alphabetically or by location. Such reports shall be available for the use and information of the traffic authority. (Prior code § 3-5.204)
10.08.050 Annual traffic safety reports.
The traffic division shall annually prepare a traffic report which shall be filed with the traffic authority for information as required by the council. Such report shall contain information on traffic matters in the city as follows:
A. The number of traffic accidents, the number of persons killed, the number of persons injured, and other pertinent accident data;
B. The number of traffic accidents investigated and other pertinent data on the safety activities of the police; and
C. The plans and recommendations of the traffic division for future traffic safety activities. (Prior code § 3-5.205)
10.08.060 Authority of police and fire department officials.
A. It shall be the duty of the officers of the police department or such officers as are assigned by the chief of police to enforce all street traffic laws of the city and of the state applicable to street traffic in the city.
B. Officers of the police department, or such officers as are assigned by the chief of police, are authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand, or other signal in conformance with traffic laws, except in the event of a fire or other emergency, or to expedite traffic or safeguard pedestrians, officers of the police department may direct traffic as conditions may require, notwithstanding the provisions of the traffic laws.
C. Officers of the fire department, when at the scene of a fire or when protecting the personnel or equipment of the fire department in the course of their duties, may direct or assist the police in directing traffic. (Prior code § 3-5.301)
10.08.070 Obedience to traffic laws required.
It shall be a misdemeanor for any person to do any act forbidden, or to fail to perform any act required, by the provisions of this title. (Prior code § 3-5.302)
10.08.080 Obedience to police and fire department officials required.
No person shall wilfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order of a police officer or fire department official when directing traffic. (Prior code § 3-5.303)
10.08.090 Obedience by persons riding bicycles or animals required.
Every person riding a bicycle or riding or driving an animal upon a highway shall be granted all the rights and shall be subject to all the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter, except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application. (Prior code § 3-5.304)
10.08.100 Persons other than officials not to direct traffic.
No person other than an officer of the police department or a person deputized by the chief of police, or person authorized by law, shall direct, or attempt to direct, traffic by voice, hand, or other signal, except that persons may operate when and as in this chapter provided any mechanical push-button signal erected by order of the traffic authority. (Prior code § 3-5.305)
10.08.110 Public employees to obey traffic regulations.
The provisions of this title shall apply to the driver of any vehicle owned by or used in the service of the United States government, the state, and any county or city. It is unlawful for any such driver to violate any of the provisions of this title except as otherwise permitted in this title or by the Vehicle Code of the state. (Prior code § 3-5.306)
10.08.120 Exemptions to certain vehicles.
A. The provisions of this title regulating the operation, parking, and standing of vehicles shall not apply to any vehicle of the police or fire department, any public ambulance, or any public utility vehicle or private ambulance, which public utility vehicle or private ambulance has qualified as an authorized emergency vehicle, when any vehicle mentioned in this title is operated in the manner specified in the Vehicle Code of the state in response to an emergency call.
B. The provisions of subsection A of this section shall not, however, protect the driver of any such vehicle from the consequences of his wilful disregard of the safety of others.
C. The provisions of this title regulating the parking or standing of vehicles shall not apply to any vehicle of a city department or public utility while necessarily in use for construction or repair work, or to any vehicle owned by the United States while in use for the collection, transportation, or delivery of United States mail. (Prior code § 3-5.307)
10.08.130 Report of damage to certain property.
A. The driver of a vehicle, or the person in charge of any animal, involved in any accident resulting in damage to any property publicly owned or owned by a public utility, including, but not limited to, any fire hydrant, ornamental lighting post, telephone pole, electric light, or power pole, or resulting in damage to any ornamental shade tree, traffic control device, or other property of a like nature located in or along any street, shall, within twenty-four hours after such accident, make a written report of such accident to the police department.
B. Every such report shall state the time when and the place where the accident took place, the name and address of the person owning and of the person driving or in charge of such vehicle or animal, the license number of every such vehicle, and a brief description of the property damaged in such accident.
C. A driver involved in an accident shall not be subject to the requirements or penalties of this section if and during the time such driver is physically incapable of making a report, but in such event such driver shall make a report as required in subsection A of this section within twenty-four hours after regaining ability to make such report. (Prior code § 3-5.308)