Any person who drives any vehicle with the willful, wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving.
Any person who, as an operator of a motor vehicle, is convicted of being a participant in drag racing shall be punished in accordance with the penalty provision of this chapter. "Drag racing" is the act of two or more individuals competing or racing on any street or highway in the City of Lexington in a situation in which one of the motor vehicles is beside or to the rear of a motor vehicle operated by a competing driver and the one driver attempts to prevent the competing driver from passing or overtaking him/her either by acceleration or maneuver or one or more individuals competing in a race against time on any street or highway in the City.
The Mayor, the members of the City Council and all police officers hereby are authorized to direct all traffic in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, or in emergencies as public safety or convenience may require. Drivers of vehicles at all times shall comply with any direction of any such official, and it shall be unlawful for any person to fail or refuse to comply with any such lawful order, signal or direction. Except in case of emergency it shall be unlawful for any person unauthorized by the Mayor or a police officer to direct or attempt to direct traffic.
It shall be unlawful for any driver to disregard the instructions of any traffic sign or signal placed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, except as otherwise herein provided.
A. 
All vehicles shall keep to the right of the center of the street, with the following exceptions:[1]
(1) 
When overtaking a vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
(2) 
When a road obstruction makes it necessary to drive to the left of center.
(3) 
On three-lane roadways.
(4) 
On one-way streets.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
B. 
Vehicles meeting shall pass each other to the right.
C. 
A vehicle overtaking another shall pass to the left side of the overtaken vehicle, and shall not pull over to the right until entirely clear of it.
D. 
Vehicles turning to the left at an intersecting street shall pass to the right of and beyond the center of the street intersection before turning.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Former Sec. 5.7E, requiring drivers to pull to the right of the road when signaled from behind, and 5.7F, requiring vehicles about to start moving to signal other drivers, which immediately followed this subsection, were deleted at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
E. 
No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with the law.
F. 
No vehicle shall make a complete "U" turn at any place except a street intersection.
G. 
No driver of a vehicle shall back the same around a street corner.
No vehicle shall emerge from any alley, stable or garage and enter into or onto a street or sidewalk without first stopping at the near side of the sidewalk line and then proceeding not faster than five miles an hour. Where there is no sidewalk area, the driver shall stop at the point nearest the street to be entered where the driver has a view of approaching traffic thereon. The driver shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian as may be necessary to avoid collision and, upon entering the roadway, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on such roadway.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
A. 
Where vehicles are approaching street intersections, vehicles to the right shall have the right-of-way.
B. 
Vehicles turning to the left into another street shall give the right-of-way to vehicles traveling the street into which the vehicle is turning.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Sec. 5.9C, giving the right-of-way to vehicles turning to the right from one street into another, which immediately followed this subsection, was deleted 6-14-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-4.
C. 
All vehicles passing along streets shall have the right-of-way over vehicles exiting from alleys.
D. 
Police vehicles, vehicles of the Fire Department and ambulances making use of audible and visual signals shall have the right-of-way in any street, and through any procession, and it shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct the passage of such vehicles.
[Amended 6-14-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-4]
No one shall ride upon the running board or fenders, or top hood or bumpers or any other appendix to any vehicle, or hold to any vehicle, or hang upon any vehicle in such manner that his body or any part thereof shall protrude beyond the limits of the vehicle.
No person shall tow or be towed by a car or other vehicle on a bicycle, roller skates, skateboard, sled, skis or other similar device.
[Amended 6-14-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-4]
Every motor vehicle driven or operated upon the highways of this State shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler or exhaust system in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise. No such muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass or similar device. No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise of such vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle, and such original muffler shall comply with all the requirements of this section. No person operating a vehicle shall permit the motor to emit an unduly great amount of smoke or products of combustion. No person shall cause a motorcycle, automobile, or motor truck to backfire.
No vehicle shall be driven or moved so as to pass through, into or interfere with any civic, military or funeral procession, except at the direction of a traffic officer.
A. 
It shall be unlawful to place, maintain or display any device, sign or signal purporting to direct, regulate or warn traffic or which is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic-control device or signal or which hides from view or interferes with the movement of traffic or the effectiveness of an official traffic-control device or signal except such as are authorized by this chapter, and all such unauthorized devices hereby are declared to be a public nuisance and shall be removed at the direction of any City officer without notice.
[Amended 6-14-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-4]
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to deface, injure, move or interfere with any official traffic sign, signal or device.
A. 
Upon the sounding of the fire alarm or the gongs and warning devices used upon fire apparatus, drivers shall drive their vehicles as near to the right curb as is reasonably possible, and shall remain standing until the fire apparatus has passed.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any driver, other than one on official business, to follow any fire apparatus responding to a fire alarm closer than 500 feet, or to park any vehicle within 500 feet of where the fire apparatus has stopped to answer a fire alarm.
[Amended 6-14-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-4]
C. 
It shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to drive over any unprotected hose of the Fire Department without the consent of the Fire Marshal or his assistant in command.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 240-16, Through traffic streets, was repealed 8-14-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-6.