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Harford County, MD
 
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[Amended by Bill No. 81-32]
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
ALLEY
A street or highway intended to provide access to the rear or side of lots or buildings in urban districts and not intended for the purpose of through vehicular traffic.
AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES
A. 
Vehicles of the Police Department and other city, county, state or federal law enforcement agencies.
B. 
Vehicles of duly constituted volunteer fire companies, rescue squads and Fire Departments.
C. 
Ambulances.
D. 
Only the foregoing described emergency vehicles which are designated or authorized by the State Department of Motor Vehicles shall be entitled to the exemptions and privileges granted elsewhere in this chapter.
AUTHORIZED SERVICE VEHICLES
Vehicles of municipal, county, state or federal departments and public service companies and such vehicles of persons performing governmental functions under a contract with any municipal, county, state or federal government which are designated and authorized by the State Department of Motor Vehicles as authorized service or escort vehicles.
BICYCLE
A. 
A vehicle propelled exclusively by human power, having two (2) or three (3) wheels of which one (1) is more than fourteen (14) inches in diameter, having a rear drive and with wheel configuration as follows:
(1) 
Two (2) wheels, in tandem.
(2) 
Three (3) wheels, consisting of a single front wheel with two (2) rear wheels on a horizontal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the front wheel and spaced equidistant from the front wheel and from the front wheel center line.
B. 
For the purposes of this chapter, a two- or three-wheeled vehicle propelled exclusively by human power and not defined as a "bicycle" herein shall be considered a "play vehicle."
BUS
Every motor vehicle designed for carrying more than ten (10) passengers and used for the transportation of persons, and every motor vehicle, other than a taxicab, designed and used for the transportation of persons for compensation.
BUSINESS DISTRICT
The territory contiguous to and including a highway when fifty percent (50%) or more of the frontage thereon for a distance of three hundred (300) feet or more is occupied by buildings in use for business.[1]
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE
Any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer designed or used to carry freight or merchandise, having a gross vehicle weight over ten thousand (10,000) pounds.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE FOR HIRE
Any motor vehicle, semitrailer or trailer and tow trucks, except taxicabs and school buses designed or used in the transportation of passengers or property or towing of vehicles for hire, having a gross vehicle weight over ten thousand (10,000) pounds. Nothing herein shall be construed as including motor vehicles used by a registered dealer for the purpose of towing disabled vehicles incidental to his business.
CROSSOVER
A transverse roadway or opening which connects the separate roadways of a divided highway at a point other than an intersection of such divided highway with another highway.
CROSSWALK
A. 
Any portion of a roadway distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface.
B. 
That portion of a roadway ordinarily included within the prolongation or connection of the lateral lines of sidewalks at intersections.
DIVIDED OR DUAL HIGHWAY
A highway with separate roadways for traffic proceeding in opposite directions, separated by an unpaved strip of land, a raised median or other physical barrier.
DRIVER
Every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle, including a person who is exercising control over steering a vehicle being towed by a motor vehicle.
EMERGENCY VEHICLE
A vehicle so designated or authorized by the administrator of the State Motor Vehicle Administration.
FARM TRACTOR
Every motor vehicle designed and used primarily as a farm implement for drawing plows, machines or other implements of husbandry.
FIRE COMPANY
Any volunteer or compensated fire company serving the county, including those operated by the federal government or from out of state.
FIRE LANE
A permanently open access roadway with all-weather driving surface not less than 20 feet of unobstructed width, with adequate road turning radius, capable of supporting the loads of fire apparatus, having a minimum clearance of 13 feet 6 inches, and required for every commercial, industrial, public or semi-public building.
[Amended by Bill No. 00-63]
FIRE MARSHAL
The State Fire Marshal or any duly appointed County Fire Marshal.
FIRE OFFICIAL
The State Fire Marshal, a Deputy State Fire Marshal or a Chief of a Harford County volunteer fire company.
[Added by Bill No. 00-63]
GROSS WEIGHT
The weight of a vehicle without load, plus the weight of any load thereon.
HIGHWAY
The entire width between the boundary lines of every way or throughfare of any kind used by the public for purposes of vehicular travel, whether actually dedicated to the public and accepted by the proper authorities or otherwise.
HOUSE TRAILER
A. 
A trailer or semitrailer which is designed, constructed and equipped as a dwelling place, living abode or sleeping place, either permanently or temporarily, and for use as a conveyance on streets and highways.
B. 
A trailer or semitrailer whose chassis and exterior shell is designed and constructed for use as a "house trailer," as defined above, but which is used instead, permanently or temporarily, for the advertising, sales, display or promotion of merchandise or services or for any other commercial purpose except the transportation of property for hire or the transportation of property for distribution by a private carrier.
INTERSECTION
A. 
The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curblines or, if none, the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two (2) highways which join one another at or approximately at right angles or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict.
B. 
Where a highway includes two (2) roadways thirty (30) feet or more apart, every crossing of each roadway of the divided highway by an intersecting highway shall be regarded as a separate "intersection." If the intersecting highway also includes two (2) roadways thirty (30) feet or more apart, every crossing of two (2) roadways of such highway shall be regarded as a separate "intersection."
MOTOR VEHICLE
A vehicle which is self-propelled or propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated upon rails.
OFFICER
A deputy sheriff, law enforcement officer or other person who is authorized by Harford County, Maryland, to issue a citation for violations of this chapter.
OFFICIAL TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES
All signs, signals, markings and devices, not inconsistent with this chapter, placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction for the purpose of regulating.
OPERATOR
Every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon a highway or who is exercising control over or steering a vehicle being towed by a motor vehicle.
OWNER
A person having the property in or title to a vehicle. The term includes a person entitled to the use and possession of a vehicle, subject to a security interest in another person, but excludes a lessee under a lease not intended as security.
PARK or PARKING
The standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading merchandise or passengers.
PEDESTRIAN
Any person afoot.
PRIVATE ROAD or DRIVEWAY
Every way or place in private ownership and used for vehicular travel by the owner and those having express or implied permission from the owner, but not by other persons.
PUBLIC BICYCLE AREA
Any street, highway, bicycle path or other facility or area maintained by the county or an agency thereof for the use of bicycles.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
A vehicular-type portable structure, which can be towed, hauled or driven which is primarily designed as temporary living accommodations for recreational, camping or travel use.
[Added by Bill No. 04-24]
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
Any parcel or area of land designated as a "residential district" on the official Zoning Maps of Harford County.
ROADWAY
That portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder. If a highway includes two (2) or more separate roadways, the term "roadway" refers to any such roadway separately but not to all such roadways collectively.
SAFE AND EXPEDITIOUS MANNER
The use of any safe method by the proper authorities which is calculated to remove the obstruction in the shortest period of time, including but not limited to the use by the proper authorities of wrecking equipment, tools, tow trucks and explosives.
SAFETY ZONE
The area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians and which is protected or is so marked or indicated by adequate signs as to be plainly visible at all times while set apart as a "safety zone."
SCHOOL VEHICLE or SCHOOL BUS
A. 
TYPE I SCHOOL VEHICLE OR SCHOOL BUSA motor vehicle that is designed and constructed for the transportation of passengers, being of either the body-on-chassis or integral-type construction, used at any time for the exclusive transport of children, students or teachers for educational purposes or in connection with a school activity, having a seating capacity of sixteen (16) or more persons calculated on a basis of providing a minimum of fifteen (15) inches of seating space per person, registered in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and meeting the requirements of the administration for "Type I school vehicles." Buses operated by common carriers under the jurisdiction of a properly constituted regulatory agency or operated by the agency itself are not included in this definition.
B. 
TYPE II SCHOOL VEHICLEA motor vehicle that is designed and constructed or modified for the transportation of passengers, being of either the body-on-chassis or integral-type construction, used at any time in the exclusive transportation of children, students or teachers for educational purposes or in connection with a school activity, having a seating capacity of fifteen (15) or fewer persons calculated on a basis of providing a minimum of fifteen (15) inches of seating space per person, registered in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and meeting the requirements of the administration for a "Type II school vehicle."
C. 
Exemptions. Privately owned vehicles, when not operating for compensation and carrying members of the owner's household, are not included in the definition of a "school vehicle" as contained in this section.
D. 
Educational purposes construed. For the purposes of this chapter, the term "educational purposes" shall be given a liberal interpretation and shall include but not be limited to those activities of schools certified by the Board of Education, activities of centers for the mentally retarded and physically handicapped, church schools, Sunday schools and church-related activities, day-care centers, day camps, summer camps or any activity that may be considered as providing some educational experience for its participants.
SIDEWALK
That portion of a street between the curblines or the lateral lines of a roadway and the adjacent property lines, intended for the use of pedestrians.
STAND or STANDING
The halting of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, other than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging passengers.
STREET
The entire width between the boundary lines of every way or thoroughfare of any kind used by the public for purposes of vehicular travel, whether actually dedicated to the public and accepted by the proper authorities or otherwise.
TAXICAB
Any motor vehicle for hire, designed to carry seven (7) persons or fewer, including the driver, operated upon any public street or highway in the state, on call or demand, accepting or soliciting passengers indiscriminately for transportation for hire between such points along public streets or highways in the state as may be directed by the passenger so being transported, provided that nothing in this chapter shall be construed to include as a "taxicab" a motor vehicle operated with the approval of the Public Service Commission on fixed routes and schedules.
TRAFFIC
Pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using any highway for purposes of travel.
TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL
Any device, whether manually, electrically or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and permitted to proceed.
TRAILER
Every vehicle without motive power designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle.
[Amended by Bill No. 04-24]
TRUCK
Every motor vehicle designed, used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
TRUCK TRACTOR
Every motor vehicle designed and used primarily for drawing other vehicles and not so constructed as to carry a load other than a part of the weight of the vehicle and load so drawn.
VEHICLE
Every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway.
[1]
Editor's Note: The former definition of "camping trailer," which immediately followed, was repealed by Bill No. 04-24.
A. 
No person, without lawful authority, shall willfully deface, injure, move or interfere with any sign, standard, post, safety zone, semaphore, tower, automatic signal or any other traffic device, or any part thereof, erected by the authority of the Director of the Department of Public Works or any directions, lines or marks painted by the authority of such Director on any county road for the purpose of directing traffic or parking vehicles.
B. 
No person shall fail, neglect or refuse to comply with any instructions or directions on any post, standard, sign or other device erected by the authority of such Director for the regulation of traffic or parking on any county road.
C. 
No person shall violate any rule, order or direction promulgated by such Director pursuant to Section 807 of the Charter.
D. 
The Director of the Department of Public Works shall have the full authority to erect traffic control devices consistent with the authority granted to the county by the state.
A. 
The Department of Public Works shall post signs and signals at such places and for such times as it is reasonably necessary to construct, alter, repair, clean by vehicular devices or protect the public from dangerous conditions in any county road.
B. 
No person shall park or drive a vehicle on any county road in violation of a closed-road sign, no-parking sign or other traffic sign or signal so posted by the Department of Public Works.
C. 
A posted sign with the inscription "Posted by the Department of Public Works" shall be prima facie evidence that such sign was posted by the Department of Public Works and that it is reasonably necessary.
D. 
No person not authorized by the Director of the Department of Public Works shall post or remove any sign with the inscription "Posted by the Department of Public Works."
A. 
Whenever there is declared a snow emergency by order of the Director of the Department of Public Works, parking shall be prohibited for all vehicles on designated snow emergency routes. Any vehicle using the county roads shall be required to use snow tires, snow chains or all-weather radial tires during such emergency. Any person parking or driving a vehicle on the county roads without snow tires, snow chains or all-weather radial tires during such snow emergency period shall be in violation of this section.
B. 
Such snow emergency shall be declared by announcement over local county or Baltimore radio stations and such other public notice, within the discretion of the Director, as it is practical to give under the circumstances.
[Added by Bill No. 80-96]
A. 
No person shall park a vehicle, unless for the use of a handicapped individual, in any space or zone, public or private, which has been marked as restricted for the use of handicapped individuals.
B. 
If any vehicle operated for the use of a handicapped individual is designated as such, it shall be either by an appropriate sign or official symbol on its license plate or by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration permit or other method approved by the Motor Vehicle Administration.
C. 
Any space or zone required to be reserved for vehicles operated for use of the handicapped shall be so designated by a sign erected on a post or the side of a building which is clearly visible from the space or zone so designated.
D. 
No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in front of a curb ramp designed for the use of individuals with disabilities.
[Added by Bill No. 99-58]