For the purposes of this title, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings ascribed to them respectively.
ALL PURPOSE VEHICLE. Any self-propelled vehicle designed primarily for cross-country travel on land and water, or on more than one type of terrain, and steered by wheels or caterpillar treads, or any combination thereof, including vehicles that operate on a cushion of air, vehicles commonly known as all-terrain vehicles, all-season vehicles, mini-bikes, and trail bikes. ALL-PURPOSE VEHICLE does not include a utility vehicle as defined in R.C. § 4501.01 or any vehicle principally used in playing golf, any motor vehicle or aircraft required to be registered under R.C. Chapter 4503 or 4561, and any vehicle excepted from definition as a motor vehicle by R.C. § 4501.01(B).
BICYCLE. Every device, other than a device that is designed solely for use as a play vehicle by a child, that is propelled solely by human power upon which a person may ride, and that has two or more wheels, any of which is more than 14 inches in diameter.
BUS. Every motor vehicle designed for carrying more than nine passengers, and used for the transportation of persons other than in a ridesharing arrangement, and every motor vehicle, automobile for hire, or funeral car, other than a taxicab or motor vehicle used in a ridesharing arrangement, designed and used for the transportation of persons for compensation.
COMMERCIAL TRACTOR. Every motor vehicle having motive power designed or used for drawing other vehicles, and not so constructed as to carry any load thereon, or designed or used for drawing other vehicles while carrying a portion of the other vehicles, or the load thereon, or both.
CROSSWALK.
(1) That part of a roadway at intersections ordinarily included within the real or projected prolongation of property lines and curb lines or, in the absence of curbs, the edges of the traversable roadway;
(2) Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere, distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface;
(3) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this definition, there shall not be a crosswalk where the district has placed signs indicating no crossing.
DRIVER or OPERATOR. Any person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle.
ELECTRIC PERSONAL ASSISTIVE MOBILITY DEVICE. A self-balancing two non-tandem wheeled device that is designed to transport only one person, has an electric propulsion system of an average of 750 watts, and when ridden on a paved level surface by an operator who weighs 170 pounds has a maximum speed of less than 20 mph.
EMERGENCY VEHICLE. Emergency vehicles of municipal, township or county departments or public utility corporations, when identified as such as required by law, the Director of Public Safety, or local authorities, and motor vehicles when commandeered by a police officer.
GROSS WEIGHT. The weight of a vehicle plus the weight of any load thereon.
INTERSECTION.
(1) The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways that join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways that join at any other angle might come into conflict. The junction of an alley or driveway with a roadway or highway does not constitute an intersection unless the roadway or highway at the junction is controlled by a traffic control device.
(2) If a highway includes two roadways that are 30 feet or more apart, then every crossing of each roadway of such divided highway by an intersecting highway constitutes a separate intersection. If both intersecting highways include two roadways 30 feet or more apart, then every crossing of any two roadways of such highways constitutes a separate intersection.
(3) At a location controlled by a traffic control signal, regardless of the distance between the separate intersections as described in division (2) of this definition:
(a) If a stop line, yield line, or crosswalk has not been designated on the roadway within the median between the separate intersections, the two intersections and the roadway and median constitute one intersection;
(b) Where a stop line, yield line, or crosswalk line is designated on the roadway on the intersection approach, the area within the crosswalk and any area beyond the designated stop line or yield line constitute part of the intersection;
(c) Where a crosswalk is designated on a roadway on the departure from the intersection, the intersection includes the area that extends to the far side of the crosswalk.
LANED HIGHWAY. A highway the roadway of which is divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for vehicular traffic.
MOTOR BUS. Every motor vehicle designed for carrying more than nine passengers, and used for the transportation of persons other than in a ridesharing arrangement, and every motor vehicle, automobile for hire, or funeral car, other than a taxicab or motor vehicle used in a ridesharing arrangement, designed and used for the transportation of persons for compensation.
MOTOR VEHICLE. Every vehicle propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power or power collected from overhead electric trolley wires, except motorized bicycles, road rollers, traction engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used in construction work, and not designed for or employed in general highway transportation, hole-digging machinery, well-drilling machinery, ditch-digging machinery, farm machinery, and trailers designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance of no more than ten miles and at a speed of 25 mph or less.
MOTORCYCLE. Every motor vehicle, other than a tractor, having a seat or saddle for the use of the operator and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, including but not limited to motor vehicles known as “motor-driven cycle”, “motor scooter”, “autocycle”, “cab-enclosed motorcycle”, or “motorcycle” without regard to weight or brake horsepower.
MOTORIZED BICYCLE or MOPED. Any vehicle having either two tandem wheels or one wheel in the front and two wheels in the rear, that may be pedaled, and that is equipped with a helper motor of not more than 50 cubic centimeters piston displacement that produces not more than one brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed of not greater than 20 mph on a level surface.
MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR. Any self-propelled vehicle designed for, and used by, a person with a disability and that is incapable of a speed in excess of eight mph.
OPERATE. To cause or have caused movement of a vehicle.
PARKING or PARKED. The standing of a vehicle upon a street, road, alley, highway or public ground, whether accompanied or unaccompanied by a driver, but does not include the temporary standing of a vehicle for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or loading merchandise or passengers.
PASSENGER CAR. Any motor vehicle that is designed and used for carrying not more than nine persons and includes any motor vehicle that is designed and used for carrying not more than 15 persons in a ridesharing arrangement.
PEDESTRIAN. Any natural person afoot. The term includes a personal delivery device as defined in R.C. § 4511.513 unless the context clearly suggests otherwise.
POLICE OFFICER. Every officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic, or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations, including specifically, park rangers.
PREDICATE MOTOR VEHICLE OR TRAFFIC OFFENSE. Any of the following:
(1) A violation of R.C. § 4511.03, 4511.051, 4511.12, 4511.132, 4511.16, 4511.20, 4511.201, 4511.21, 4511.211, 4511.213, 4511.214, 4511.22, 4511.23, 4511.25, 4511.26, 4511.27, 4511.28, 4511.29, 4511.30, 4511.31, 4511.32, 4511.33, 4511.34, 4511.35, 4511.36, 4511.37, 4511.38, 4511.39, 4511.40, 4511.41, 4511.42, 4511.43, 4511.431, 4511.432, 4511.44, 4511.441, 4511.451, 4511.452, 4511.46, 4511.47, 4511.48, 4511.481, 4511.49, 4511.50, 4511.511, 4511.53, 4511.54, 4511.55, 4511.56, 4511.57, 4511.58, 4511.59, 4511.60, 4511.61, 4511.64, 4511.66, 4511.661, 4511.68, 4511.70, 4511.701, 4511.71, 4511.711, 4511.712, 4511.713, 4511.72, 4511.73, 4511.763, 4511.771, 4511.78, or 4511.84;
(2) A violation of R.C. § 4511.17(A)(2), 4511.51(A) through (D), or 4511.74(A);
(3) A violation of any provision of R.C. §§ 4511.01 through 4511.76 for which no penalty otherwise is provided in the section that contains the provision violated;
(4) A violation of a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to any section or provision set forth or described in division (1), (2), or (3) of this definition.
PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLE. Any of the following:
(1) Ambulances, including private ambulance companies under contract to a municipality, township, or county, and private ambulances and nontransport vehicles bearing license plates issued under R.C. § 4503.49;
(2) Motor vehicles used by public law enforcement officers or other persons sworn to enforce the criminal and traffic laws of the state;
(3) Any motor vehicle when properly identified as required by the Director of Public Safety, when used in response to fire emergency calls or to provide emergency medical service to ill or injured persons, and when operated by a duly qualified person who is a member of a volunteer rescue service or a volunteer fire department, and who is on duty pursuant to the rules or directives of that service. The State Fire Marshal shall be designated by the Director of Public Safety as the certifying agency for all public safety vehicles described herein;
(4) Vehicles used by fire departments, including motor vehicles when used by volunteer firefighters responding to emergency calls in the fire department service when identified as required by the Director of Public Safety;
(5) Any vehicle used to transport or provide emergency medical service to an ill or injured person, when certified as a public safety vehicle, shall be considered such a vehicle when transporting an ill or injured person to a hospital, regardless of whether such vehicle has already passed a hospital;
(6) Vehicles used by the Motor Carrier Enforcement Unit for the enforcement of orders and rules of the Public Utilities Commission as specified in R.C. § 5503.34.
RIGHT-OF-WAY. Either of the following, as the context requires:
(1) The right of a vehicle or pedestrian to proceed uninterruptedly in a lawful manner in the direction in which it, he or she is moving, in preference to another vehicle or pedestrian approaching from a different direction into its, his or her path;
(2) A general term denoting land, property, or the interest therein, usually in the configuration of a strip, acquired for or devoted to transportation purposes. When used in this context, “right-of-way” includes the roadway, shoulders or berm, ditch, and slopes extending to the right-of-way limits under the control of the state or local authority.
ROAD, STREET, or HIGHWAY. The entire width between the boundary lines of every way open to the use of the public as a thoroughfare for purposes of vehicular travel.
ROADWAY. That portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, except the berm or shoulder. If a highway includes two or more separate roadways, the term means any roadway separately, but not all the roadways collectively.
SAFETY ZONE. The area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians, and protected or marked or indicated by adequate signs so as to be plainly visible at all times.
SEMITRAILER. Every vehicle designed or used for carrying persons or property with another and separate motor vehicle so that in operation a part of its own weight or that of its load, or both, rests upon and is carried by another vehicle.
SIDEWALK. That portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral line of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines, intended for the use of pedestrians.
SNOWMOBILE. Any self-propelled vehicle designed primarily for use on snow or ice, and steered by skis, runners, or caterpillar treads.
STOP INTERSECTION. Any intersection at one or more entrances of which stop signs are erected.
TRAFFIC. Pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars, and other devices, either singly or together, while using for purposes of travel any highway or private road open to public travel.
TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICE. A flagger, sign, signal, marking, or other device used to regulate, warn, or guide traffic, placed on, over, or adjacent to a street, highway, private road open to public travel, pedestrian facility, or shared-use path by authority of a public agency or official having jurisdiction, or, in the case of a private road open to public travel, by authority of the private owner or private official having jurisdiction.
TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNAL. Any highway traffic signal by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and permitted to proceed.
TRAILER. Every vehicle designed or used for carrying persons or property wholly on its own structure, and for being drawn by a motor vehicle, including any vehicle when formed by or operated as a combination of a semitrailer and a vehicle of the dolly type, such as that commonly known as a trailer dolly, a vehicle used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a street or highway at a speed greater than 25 mph and a vehicle designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance of more than ten miles or at a speed of more than 25 mph.
TRUCK. Every motor vehicle, except trailers and semitrailers, designed and used to carry property.
U-TURN. A turn that reverses the direction in which the vehicle making the turn is proceeding.
VEHICLE. Every device, including a motorized bicycle, in, upon, or by which any person or property may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except that the term does not include any motorized wheelchair, any electric personal assistive mobility device, any personal delivery device as defined in R.C. § 4511.513, any device that is moved by power collected from overhead electric trolley wires or that is used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks, or any device, other than a bicycle, that is moved by human power.
WASTE COLLECTION VEHICLE. A vehicle used in the collection of garbage, refuse, trash, or recyclable materials.
(R.C. § 4511.01)