For the purpose of this traffic code, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALLEY. A public thoroughfare which affords only secondary means of vehicular access to abutting property and not over 20 feet in width.
AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE. Vehicles of the Fire Department, Police Vehicles and such ambulances as are operated by or for health and hospital corporations pursuant to state law. However, ambulances and other vehicles, which are owned by persons, firms or corporations other than hospitals, and are used in emergency service, may be designated as EMERGENCY VEHICLES if such vehicles are authorized to operate as such by the Public Service Commission of the state.
BICYCLE. Any foot-propelled vehicle, irrespective of the number of wheels in contact with the ground.
BUREAU. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles of the state acting directly or through its duly authorized officers and agents.
BUS. Every motor vehicle designed for carrying passengers for hire and used for the transportation of persons; and every motor vehicle, other than a taxicab, designed and used for the transportation of persons for compensation.
BUSINESS DISTRICT. The territory contiguous to and including a highway when 50% or more of the frontage thereon for a distance of 500 feet or more is occupied by buildings in use for business.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE. Every vehicle designed, maintained or used primarily for the transportation of property.
COMMISSION. The state’s Highway Commission, acting directly or through its duly authorized officers and agents.
COMMISSIONER. The Commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles of the state.
CONTROLLED-ACCESS HIGHWAY. Every highway, street or roadway in respect to which owners or occupants of abutting property or lands and other persons have no legal right of access, except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the public authority having jurisdiction over such highway, street or roadway.
CROSSWALK.
(1) The part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the traversable roadway; and
(2) Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface.
CURB LOADING ZONE. A space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers or materials.
DEPARTMENT. A Police Department of the state acting directly or through its duly authorized agents.
DIRECTOR. The Director of Traffic Safety of the state.
DRIVER. Every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle.
DAY. A period of time consisting of 24 consecutive hours and measured from 12:01 a.m. to 12:01 a.m. of the next succeeding day.
EXPLOSIVES. Any chemical compound or mechanical mixture that is commonly used or intended for the purpose of producing an explosion and which contains any oxidizing and combustive units or other ingredients in such proportions, quantities or packing that an ignition by fire, by friction, by concussion, by percussion or by detonator of any part of the compound or mixture may cause such a sudden generation of highly heated gases that the resultant gaseous pressures are capable of producing destructible effects on contiguous objects or of destroying life or limb.
FARM TRACTOR. Every motor vehicle designed and used primarily as a farm implement for drawing plows, moving machines and other implements of husbandry.
FLAMMABLE LIQUID. Any liquid which has a flash point of 70° F., or less, as determined by a Tagliabue or equivalent closed-cup test device.
FREIGHT CURB LOADING ZONE. A space adjacent to a curb for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of freight or passengers.
GROSS WEIGHT. The weight of a vehicle without load, plus the weight of any load thereon.
INDIVIDUAL PARKING SPACE. A portion of the paved surface of the street of sufficient length and depth from the sidewalk, curb or edge of the roadway to accommodate a vehicle of standard size.
INTERSECTION.
(1) The areas embraced, within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways which join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict; and
(2) Where a highway includes two roadways 30 feet or more apart, then every crossing of each roadway of such divided highway by an intersecting highway shall be regarded as a separate
INTERSECTION. In the event such intersecting highway also includes two roadways 30 feet or more apart, then every crossing of two roadways of such highway shall be regarded as a separate INTERSECTION.
LANED HIGHWAY. A highway the roadway of which is divided into three or more clearly marked lanes for vehicular traffic.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES. Every county, municipal and other local board or body having authority to adopt local police regulations under the constitution and laws of the state.
MARSHAL. The chief law enforcement officer of the town. Also, the Chief of the town’s Police Force.
METAL TIRE. Every tire the surface of which in contact with the highway is wholly or partly of metal or other hard non-resilient material.
MOTOR VEHICLE. Every vehicle, except a motorized bicycle, which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails.
MOTORCYCLE. Every motor vehicle having a saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, but excluding a tractor or a therapeutic bicycle.
MOTORIZED BICYCLE. A bicycle with operable pedals which may be propelled by human power or by an internal combustion engine or battery powered motor, or by both, and when powered by an internal combustion engine having a rating of no more than one and five-tenths brake horsepower and a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cubic centimeters, an automatic transmission and a maximum design speed of no more than 25 mph on a flat surface.
OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY. The Office of Traffic Safety of the state acting directly or through its duly authorized officers and agents.
OFFICIAL TIME STANDARD. Standard time or daylight saving time, as may be in current use in the town.
OFFICIAL TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICES. All signs, signals, markings and devices, not inconsistent with this traffic code, placed or erected for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction.
OFFICIAL TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNAL. Any device not inconsistent with this traffic code, whether manually, electronically or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and to proceed.
OWNER. A person who holds the legal title of a vehicle, in the event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then such conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be deemed the OWNER for the purpose of this title.
PARK. The standing of a vehicle, whether or occupied or not.
PASSENGER CURB LOADING ZONE. A place adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers.
PEDESTRIAN. Any person afoot.
PERSONS. Every natural person, firm, co-partnership, association or corporation.
PNEUMATIC TIRE. Every tire in which compressed air is designed to support the load.
POLE TRAILER. Every vehicle without motor power designed to be drawn by another vehicle and attached to the towing vehicle by means of a reach, or pole, or by being boomed or otherwise secured to the towing vehicle. Ordinarily used for transporting long or irregular shaped loads such as poles, pipes or structural members, capable, generally, of sustaining themselves as beams between the supporting connections.
POLICE OFFICER. Every officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations.
PRIVATE BUS. Every motor vehicle designed and constructed for the accommodation of passengers, which is used for transportation of passengers by a religious organization, fraternal, charitable, benevolent or youth association. The term PRIVATE BUS shall include either the chassis or the body of the vehicle, or shall include both the body and the chassis of any such vehicle; provided that, any vehicle having the seating capacity of ten persons or less shall not be deemed to be a PRIVATE BUS, nor shall any school bus or any bus used to carry passengers for hire be considered a PRIVATE BUS.
PRIVATE ROAD OR DRIVEWAY. Every way or place in private ownership used for vehicular travel by the owner and those having express or implied permission from the owner, but not by other persons.
RAILROAD. A carrier of persons or property upon cars other than streetcars operating upon stationary rails.
RAILROAD SIGN OR SIGNAL. Any sign, signal or device, erected by authority of a public body or official or by a railroad, intended to give notice of the presence of railroad tracks or the approach of a railroad train.
RAILROAD TRAIN. A steam engine electric or other motor, with or without cars coupled thereto, operated upon rails, except street cars.
RESIDENCE DISTRICT. The territory contiguous to and including a highway not comprising a business district, when the property on such highway for a distance of 500 feet or more is in the main improved with residences or residences and buildings in use for business.
RIGHT-OF-WAY. The privilege of the immediate use of the highway.
ROAD TRACTOR. Every motor vehicle designed for drawing other vehicles and not constructed to carry any load independently or any part of the weight of a vehicle or load drawn.
ROADWAY. The portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel.
SAFETY ZONE. The area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians and which is protected or is so marked or indicated by adequate signs as to be plainly visible at all times while set apart as a safety zone.
SCHOOL BUS. Every motor vehicle owned by a public or governmental agency and operated for the transportation of children to or from school, or privately owned and operated for compensation for the transportation of children to and from school.
SEMI-TRAILER. Every vehicle with or without motive power, other than a pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle and so constructed that some part of its weight and that of its load rests upon or is carried by another vehicle.
SIDEWALK. The portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines intended for the use of pedestrians.
SOLID TIRE. Every tire of rubber or other resilient material which does not depend upon compressed air for the support of the load.
STOP. Complete cessation of movement.
STOP, STOPPING or STANDING. Any stopping or standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic control sign or signal.
STREET or HIGHWAY. The entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.
THROUGH HIGHWAY. Every highway or portion thereof at the entrance to which vehicular traffic from intersecting highways is required by law to yield right-of-way to vehicles on such through highway in obedience to either a stop sign or a yield sign, when such signs are erected as provided in this title.
TRAFFIC. Pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, streetcars, vehicles and other conveyances either singly or together while using any highway for a purposes of travel.
TRAILER. Every vehicle with or without motive power other then a pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle and so constructed that no part of its weight rests upon the towing vehicle.
TRUCK. Every motor vehicle designed, used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
TRUCK TRACTOR. Every motor vehicle designed and used primarily for drawing other vehicles and not constructed to carry a load other than a part of the weight of the vehicle and load drawn.
URBAN DISTRICT. The territory contiguous to and including any street which is built up with structures devoted to business, industry or dwelling houses situated at intervals of less than 100 feet for a distance of one-fourth of a mile or more.
VEHICLE. Every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
(Prior Code, § 4:1:07) (Ord. 82-22, passed 12-31-1982)