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 Selectmen covering:
A. The number of traffic accidents, the number of persons
killed or 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 nor 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.