Officers of the police department and such officers as are assigned by the chief of police are authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand, audible or other signal in conformance with traffic laws, except that in the event of a fire or other emergency or to expedite traffic or to safeguard pedestrians, officers of the police department or members of the Winters fire district may direct traffic as conditions may require, notwithstanding the provisions to the contrary contained in this title or the Vehicle Code.
(Prior code § 4-1.301)
No person other than an officer of the police department or members of the fire district or a person authorized by law shall direct or attempt to direct traffic by voice, hand or other signal, except that persons may operate and mechanical pushbutton signal erected by order of the superintendent of public works.
(Prior code § 4-1.302)
No person shall fail or refuse to comply with or to perform any act forbidden by any lawful order, signal, or direction of a traffic or police officer, or a member of the fire district or a person authorized by the chief of police or by law.
(Prior code § 4-1.303)
No person shall interfere with or obstruct in any way any police officer or other officer or employee of this city in their enforcement of the provisions of this title. The removal, obliteration or concealment of any chalk mark or other distinguishing mark used by any police officer or other employee or officer of this city in connection with the enforcement of the parking regulations of this chapter shall, if done for the purpose of evading the provisions of this title, constitute such interference or obstruction.
(Prior code § 4-1.305)
A. 
The provisions of this title regulating the operation, parking and standing of vehicles shall not apply to vehicles operated by the police department, fire district, any public utility vehicle or any private ambulance, which public utility or private ambulance has qualified as an authorized emergency vehicle, when any vehicle mentioned in this section is operated in the manner specified by the Vehicle Code in response to an emergency call.
B. 
The foregoing exemptions shall not, however, relieve the operator of any such vehicle from obligation to exercise due care for the safety of others.
C. 
The provisions of this title regulating the parking or standing of vehicles shall not apply to any vehicle of a city department or public utility while necessarily in use for construction or repair work or any vehicle owned or operated by the United States Post Office Department while in use for the collection transportation or delivery of United States Mail
(Prior code § 4-1.307)
A. 
The operator of a vehicle or the person in charge of any animal involved in any accident resulting in damage to any property publicly owned or owned by a public utility including but not limited to any fire hydrant, parking meter, lighting post, telephone pole, electric light or power pole, or resulting in damage to any tree, traffic control device or other property of a like nature located in or along any street, shall within twenty-four (24) hours after such accident make a written report of such accident to the police department of this city.
B. 
Every such report shall state the time when and the place where the accident took place, the name and address of the person owning and of the person operating or in charge of such vehicle or animal, the license number of every such vehicle, and shall briefly describe the property damage in such accident.
C. 
The operator of any vehicle involved in an accident shall not be subject to the requirements or penalties of this section if and during the time he or she is physically incapable of making a report, but in such event he or she shall make a report as required in subsection A within twenty-four (24) hours after regaining ability to make such report.
(Prior code § 4-1.308)
Any regularly employed and salaried officer of the police department of this city may remove or cause to be moved:
A. 
Any vehicle that has been parked or left standing upon a street or highway for one hundred twenty (120) or more consecutive hours;
B. 
Any vehicle which is parked or left standing upon a street or highway where the use of such street or highway or a portion thereof is necessary for the cleaning, repair or construction of the street or highway or for the installation of underground utilities or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is necessary for the movement of equipment, articles or structures of unusual size, and the parking of such vehicle would prohibit or interfere with such use or movement; provided that signs giving notice that such vehicle may be removed are erected or placed at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the removal.
(Prior code § 4-1.309)
Except as otherwise provided in Division 17 of the California Vehicle Code entitled "Offenses and Prosecution" (Cal. Vehicle Code Section 40000.1 et seq.), as may be amended from time to time, violations of this title shall constitute an infraction punishable by a fine of up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each offense. The Winters city council shall by resolution set the respective fines for violations of specific sections of this title.
(Ord. 91-08 § 3; Ord. 2018-07 § 2)