It shall be the duty of the Police Department to enforce the
provisions of these rules and orders. Officers of the Police Department
are hereby authorized to direct all traffic either in person or by
means of visible or audible signal in conformance with the provisions
of these rules and orders, provided that, in the event of a fire or
other emergency, to expedite traffic or safeguard pedestrians, officers
of the Police or Fire Department may direct traffic, as conditions
may require, notwithstanding the provisions of these rules and orders.
The police may close temporarily any street or highway in an
impending or existing emergency or for any lawful assemblage, demonstration
or procession, provided that there is reasonable justification for
the closing of such street.
The police may prohibit, temporarily, parking on any street
or highway or part thereof in an impending or existing emergency or
for a lawful assemblage, demonstration or procession, provided that
there is reasonable justification for such prohibition. Vehicles parked
in places where parking is prohibited temporarily may be moved by
or under the direction of an officer.
Drivers of vehicles shall comply with any lawful or reasonable
order, signal or direction of any officer.
The police shall submit a traffic safety report annually in
the month of January to the Select Board covering:
A. The number of traffic accidents, the number of persons killed and
injured and other pertinent traffic accident data.
B. The number of traffic accidents investigated, the number of hazardous
locations studied, the number of drivers with bad records interrogated
and other pertinent data on the safety activities of the police.
C. The plans and recommendations for future traffic safety activities.
The provisions of these rules and orders shall not apply to
operators actually engaged in work upon a street or highway closed
to travel or under construction or repair, to officers when engaged
in the performance of public duties or to drivers of emergency vehicles
while operating in an emergency and in performance of public duties
when the nature of the work of any of these necessitates a departure
from any part of these rules and orders. These exemptions shall not,
however, protect the driver of any vehicle from the consequences of
a reckless disregard of the safety of others.