Chapter 10.08
ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT
Sections:
10.08.010 Traffic division – Established.
10.08.040 Traffic division – Accident report duties.
10.08.050 Traffic division – Annual safety reports.
10.08.060 Traffic engineer – Office established.
10.08.070 Traffic engineer – Powers and duties.
10.08.080 Authority of police and fire department officials.
10.08.100 Obedience to police and fire department officials.
10.08.110 Traffic regulations apply to persons riding bicycles or animals.
10.08.120 Unauthorized persons not to direct traffic.
10.08.130 Public employees to obey traffic regulations.
10.08.140 Exemptions to certain vehicles.
10.08.150 Report of damage to certain property.
10.08.160 Obstruction or interference with police or authorized officers.
10.08.010 Traffic division – Established.
There is established in the police department of this city a traffic division to be under the control of an officer of police appointed by and directly responsible to the chief of police. [1937 Code § 512.]
10.08.040 Traffic division – Accident report duties.
The traffic division shall maintain a suitable system of filing traffic accident reports. Accident reports or cards referring to them shall be filed alphabetically by location. Such reports shall be available for the use and information of the city traffic engineer. [1937 Code § 512.3.]
10.08.050 Traffic division – Annual safety reports.
The traffic division shall annually prepare a traffic report which shall be filed with the city council. Such a report shall contain information on traffic matters in this city as follows:
A. The number of traffic accidents, the number of persons killed, the number of persons injured and other pertinent traffic accident data;
B. The number of traffic accidents investigated and other pertinent data on the safety activities of the police;
C. The plans and recommendations of the division for future traffic safety activities. [1937 Code § 512.4.]
10.08.060 Traffic engineer – Office established.
The office of city traffic engineer is established. The city traffic engineer shall be appointed by the city council and he shall exercise the powers and duties as provided in this title and in the traffic ordinances of this city. Whenever the city traffic engineer is required or authorized to place or maintain official traffic control devices or signals, he may cause such devices or signals to be placed or maintained. [1937 Code § 512.5.]
10.08.070 Traffic engineer – Powers and duties.
It shall be the general duty of the city traffic engineer to determine the installation and proper timing and maintenance of traffic control devices and signals, to conduct engineering analyses of traffic accidents and to devise remedial measures, to conduct engineering and traffic investigations of traffic conditions and to cooperate with other city officials in the development of ways and means to improve traffic conditions, and to carry out the additional powers and duties imposed by ordinances of this city. Whenever, by the provisions of this title, a power is granted to the city traffic engineer or a duty imposed upon him, the power may be exercised or the duty performed by his deputy or by a person authorized in writing by him. [1937 Code § 512.6.]
10.08.080 Authority of police and fire department officials.
A. It shall be the duty of the police officers, or such officers as are assigned by the chief of police, to enforce all street traffic laws of this city and all of the state vehicle laws applicable to street traffic in this city.
B. Police officers 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; provided, that in the event of a fire or other emergency or to expedite traffic or to 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 in the course of their duties they are protecting the personnel or equipment of the fire department, may direct or assist the police in directing traffic. [1937 Code § 512.7.]
10.08.100 Obedience to police and fire department officials.
No person shall wilfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order of a police officer or fire department official when directing traffic. [1937 Code § 512.9.]
10.08.110 Traffic regulations apply to persons riding bicycles or animals.
Every person riding a bicycle or riding or driving an animal upon a highway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this title, except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application. [1937 Code § 512.10.]
10.08.120 Unauthorized persons not to direct traffic.
No person other than a police officer or a person assigned 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 herein provided any mechanical pushbutton signal erected by order of the city traffic engineer. [1937 Code § 512.11.]
10.08.130 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, this state, any county or city, and it is unlawful for any said driver to violate any of the provisions of this title except as otherwise permitted in this title or by the Vehicle Code. [1937 Code § 512.12.]
10.08.140 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 any private ambulance, which public utility vehicle or private ambulance has qualified as an authorized emergency vehicle, when any vehicle mentioned in this section is operated in the manner specified in the Vehicle Code in response to an emergency call.
B. The foregoing exemptions shall not, however, relieve the operator of any such vehicle from an obligation to exercise due care for the safety of others or the consequences of his wilful disregard of the safety of others.
C. The provisions of this title regulating the operation, 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 upon the streets of this city, nor to any vehicle owned or operated by the United States Post Office while in use for the collection, transportation or delivery of the United States mail. [1937 Code § 512.13.]
10.08.150 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 24 hours after such accident make a written report of such accident to the police department of this city.
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 shall briefly describe the property damaged in such accident.
C. A driver involved in an accident shall not be subject to the requirements of penalties of this section if and during the time such driver is physically incapable of making a report, but in such event the driver shall make a report as required in subsection (A) of this section within 24 hours after regaining ability to make such report. [1937 Code § 512.14.]
10.08.160 Obstruction or interference with police or authorized officers.
It is unlawful for any person to interfere with or obstruct in any way any police officer or other officer or employee of this city in their enforcement of the provisions of this title. The removal, obliteration or concealment of any chalk mark or other distinguishing mark used by any police officer or other employee or officer of the city in connection with the enforcement of the parking regulations of this title constitutes such interference or obstruction. [1937 Code § 512.15.]