(A) Authority of Police and Fire Department officials.
(1) It shall be the duty of the officers of the Police Department and/or such officers as are assigned by the Chief of Police to enforce all traffic laws of this city and all of the state vehicle laws applicable to traffic in this city.
(2) Officers of the Police Department and/or such officers as are assigned by the Chief of Police are hereby authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand, or 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.
(3) Officers of the Fire Department, when at the scene of a fire, or when in route to the scene of a fire, may direct or assist the police in directing traffic at or in the immediate vicinity.
(B) Required obedience to traffic ordinance. It is a misdemeanor for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required in this chapter.
(C) Obedience to Police and Fire Department officials. No person shall willfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of a police officer or Fire Department official.
(D) Persons propelling push carts or riding animals to obey traffic. Every person propelling any push cart or riding an animal upon a roadway, every person driving any animal-drawn vehicle, and any person riding a bicycle, shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter applicable to the driver of any vehicle, except those provisions of this chapter which by their very nature can have no application.
(E) Use of coasters, roller skates, and similar devices restricted. No person upon roller skates, or riding in or by means of any coaster, toy vehicle, or similar device, shall go upon any roadway except while crossing a street at a crosswalk and when so crossing, such person shall be granted all of the rights and be subject to all of the duties applicable to pedestrians.
(F) Public employees to obey traffic regulations. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the driver of any vehicle owned by or used in the service of the United States government, this state, county, or city, and it shall be unlawful for any said driver to violate any of the provisions of this chapter, except as otherwise permitted in this chapter or by federal or state statutes.
(G) Exceptions to authorized emergency vehicles. The provisions of this chapter regulating the operation, parking, and standing of vehicles shall apply to authorized emergency vehicles, as defined in this chapter, except as follows:
(1) A driver when operating any such vehicle in an emergency, except when otherwise directed by a police officer, may:
(a) Park or stand notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter;
(b) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;
(c) Exceed the prima facie speed limits so long as he or she does not endanger life or property; or
(d) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions so long as he or she does not endanger life or property.
(2) Those exceptions hereinbefore granted in reference to the movement of an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when the driver of said vehicle shall sound a siren, bell, or exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary, and the vehicle displays a lighted red lamp visible from the front as a warning to others.
(3) The foregoing examples shall not, however, protect the driver of any such vehicle from the consequences of his or her reckless disregard for the safety of others.
(H) Operation of vehicles on approach of authorized emergency vehicles.
(1) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle equipped with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet to the front of such vehicle and when the driver is giving audible signal by siren, exhaust whistle, or bell the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any intersection, and shall stop and remain in such position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed except when otherwise directed by a police officer.
(2) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highways.
(I) Immediate report of accidents.
(1) The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or property damage shall immediately by the quickest means of communication, either verbal or written, give notice of such accident to the Police Department if such accident occurs within the city.
(2) The Police Department of this city may require any driver of a vehicle in an accident of which report must be made as provided in this section to file supplemental reports whenever the original report is insufficient in the opinion of said Department, and may require witnesses of accidents to render reports to said Department.
(J) Driver’s inability to report. Whenever the driver of a vehicle is physically unable to make the required accident report and there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident capable of making the report, such occupant shall make or cause to be made said report.
(2010 Code, § 71.02) Penalty, see § 71.99