[R.O. 2009 § 310.010]
A.
It shall be the duty of the officers of
the Police Department or such officers as are assigned by the Chief
of Police to enforce all traffic laws of the City and all of the State
vehicle laws applicable to traffic in the City.
B.
Officers of the Police Department 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.
C.
Officers of the Fire Department, when at
the scene of an incident, may direct or assist the Police in directing
traffic thereat or in the immediate vicinity.
[R.O. 2009 § 310.020]
Every person propelling any pushcart
or riding an animal upon a roadway, and every person driving any animal-drawn
vehicle, shall be subject to the provisions of this Title applicable
to the driver of any vehicle, except those provisions of this Title
which by their very nature can have no application.
[R.O. 2009 § 310.030]
No person upon roller skates, or
riding in or by means of any coaster, toy vehicle, skateboard or similar
device, shall go upon any roadway except while crossing a street on
a crosswalk and when so crossing such person shall be granted all
of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable
to pedestrians. This Section shall not apply upon any street while
set aside as a play street as authorized by ordinance of the City.
[R.O. 2009 § 310.040]
The provisions of this Title 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 Title, except as otherwise permitted in this Title.
A.
Upon the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle giving audible signal by siren or while having at least one (1) lighted lamp exhibiting red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of such vehicle or a flashing blue light authorized by Section 310.060 of this Chapter, the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as far as possible to the right of, the traveled portion of the highway and thereupon stop and remain in such position until such emergency vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a Police or Traffic Officer.
B.
Upon approaching a stationary vehicle displaying
lighted red or red and blue lights, or a stationary vehicle displaying
lighted amber or amber and white lights, the driver of every motor
vehicle shall:
1.
Proceed with caution and yield the
right-of-way, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions,
by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that of the stationary
vehicle, if on a roadway having at least four (4) lanes with not less
than two (2) lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approaching
vehicle; or
2.
Proceed with due caution and reduce
the speed of the vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for road conditions,
if changing lanes would be unsafe or impossible.
C.
Responsibilities Of Driver Of Emergency
Vehicle.
1.
The driver of any "emergency vehicle" defined in Section 300.010 of this Code shall not sound the siren thereon or have the front red lights or blue lights on except when such vehicle is responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected law violator, or when responding to, but not upon returning from, a fire.
2.
The driver of an emergency vehicle
may:
a.
Park or stand irrespective of the
provisions of Sections 304.014 to 304.025, RSMo., and the provisions
of this Code;
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 limit
so long as the driver does not endanger life or property;
d.
Disregard regulations governing direction
of movement or turning in specified directions.
3.
The exemptions granted to an emergency vehicle pursuant to Subsection (C)(2) of this Section shall apply only when the driver of any such vehicle while in motion sounds audible signal by bell, siren or exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary, and when the vehicle is equipped with at least one (1) lighted lamp displaying a red light or blue light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of such vehicle.
D.
No person shall purchase an emergency light
as described in this Section without furnishing the seller of such
light an affidavit stating that the light will be used exclusively
for emergency vehicle purposes.
A.
Motor vehicles and equipment, not otherwise defined in this Title as an authorized emergency vehicle, which are operated by any member of an organized Fire Department, ambulance association or rescue squad, whether paid or volunteer, may be operated on streets and highways in the City as an emergency vehicle under the provisions of Section 310.050 of this Chapter, while responding to a fire call or ambulance call or at the scene of a fire call or ambulance call and while using or sounding a warning siren and using or displaying thereon fixed, flashing or rotating blue lights, but sirens and blue lights shall be used only in bona fide emergencies.
B.
Use Of Other Authorized Lights.
1.
Notwithstanding Subsection (A) of this Section, the following vehicles may use or display fixed, flashing, or rotating red or red and blue lights:
a.
Emergency vehicles, as defined in
Section 304.022, RSMo., when responding to an emergency.
c.
Vehicles and equipment owned or leased
by a contractor or subcontractor performing work for the Department
of Transportation, except that the red or red and blue lights shall
be displayed on vehicles or equipment described in this Subsection
only between dusk and dawn, when such vehicles or equipment are stationary,
such vehicles or equipment are located in a work zone as defined in
Section 304.580, RSMo., highway workers, as defined in Section 304.580,
RSMo., are present, and such work zone is designated by a sign or
signs. No more than two (2) vehicles or pieces of equipment in a work
zone may display fixed, flashing or rotating lights under this Subsection.
2.
The following vehicles and equipment
may use or display fixed, flashing, or rotating amber or amber and
white lights:
a.
Vehicles and equipment owned or leased
by the State Highways and Transportation Commission and operated by
an authorized employee of the Department of Transportation.
b.
Vehicles and equipment owned or leased
by a contractor or subcontractor performing work for the Department
of Transportation, except that the amber or amber and white lights
shall be displayed on vehicles described in this Subsection only when
such vehicles or equipment are located in a work zone, as defined
in Section 304.580, RSMo., highway workers, as defined in Section
304.580, RSMo., are present, and such work zone is designated by a
sign or signs.
c.
Vehicles and equipment operated by
a utility worker performing work for the utility, except that the
amber or amber and white lights shall be displayed on vehicles described
in this Subsection only when such vehicles are stationary, such vehicles
or equipment are located in a work zone, as defined in Section 304.580,
RSMo., a utility worker is present, and such work zone is designated
by a sign or signs. As used in this Subsection, the term "utility
worker" means any employee while in performance of his or her job
duties, including any person employed under contract of a utility
that provides gas, heat, electricity, water, steam, telecommunications
or cable services, or sewer services, whether privately, municipally,
or cooperatively owned.
C.
Permits for the operation of such vehicles
equipped with sirens or blue lights shall be in writing and shall
be issued and may be revoked by the Chief of an organized Fire Department,
organized Ambulance Association, Rescue Squad, or the State Highways
and Transportation Commission and no person shall use or display a
siren or blue lights on a motor vehicle, fire, ambulance, or rescue
equipment without a valid permit authorizing the use. A permit to
use a siren or lights as heretofore set out does not relieve the operator
of the vehicle so equipped with complying with all other traffic laws
and regulations. Violation of this Section constitutes an ordinance
violation.
[R.O. 2009 § 310.070]
The driver of a vehicle involved
in an accident within the City resulting in injury to or death of
any person or total property damage to an apparent extent of five
hundred dollars ($500.00) or more to one (1) person shall give or
cause to be given notice of such accident to the Police Department
as soon as reasonably possible.
[R.O. 2009 § 310.080]
The driver of a vehicle which is
in any manner involved in an accident resulting in bodily injury to
or death of any person or total property damage to an apparent extent
of five hundred dollars ($500.00) or more to one (1) person shall,
within five (5) days after such accident, forward a written report
of such accident to the Police Department. The provisions of this
Section shall not be applicable when the accident has been investigated
at the scene by a Police Officer while such driver was present thereat.
[R.O. 2009 § 310.090]
A.
Whenever the driver of a vehicle is physically incapable of giving immediate notice of an accident as required in Section 310.070 and there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident capable of doing so, such occupant shall give or cause to be given the notice not given by the driver.
B.
Whenever the driver is physically incapable of making a written report of an accident as required in Section 310.080 and such driver is not the owner of the vehicle, then the owner of the vehicle involved in such accident shall, within five (5) days after the accident, make such report not made by the driver.
A.
A person commits the offense of leaving
the scene of an accident when:
1.
Being the operator of a vehicle or
a vessel involved in an accident resulting in injury or death or damage
to property of another person; and
2.
Having knowledge of such accident
he or she leaves the place of the injury, damage or accident without
stopping and giving the following information to the other party or
to a Law Enforcement Officer, or if no Law Enforcement Officer is
in the vicinity, then to the nearest law enforcement agency:
B.
For the purposes of this Section, all Law
Enforcement Officers shall have jurisdiction, when invited by an injured
person, to enter the premises of any privately owned property for
the purpose of investigating an accident and performing all necessary
duties regarding such accident.
C.
A Law Enforcement Officer who investigates
or receives information of an accident involving an all-terrain vehicle
and also involving the loss of life or serious physical injury shall
make a written report of the investigation or information received
and such additional facts relating to the accident as may come to
his or her knowledge, mail the information to the Department of Public
Safety, and keep a record thereof in his or her office.
D.
The provisions of this Section shall not
apply to the operation of all-terrain vehicles when property damage
is sustained in sanctioned all-terrain vehicle races, derbies and
rallies.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony
under state law.