For the purposes of this chapter, the following words
and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them
by this section:
AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES
Vehicles of the fire department, fire patrol and police,
ambulances and emergency vehicles of municipal departments and public
service corporations, private ambulances, wreckers, funeral cars,
medical rescue units and auto extraction rescue units shall be emergency
vehicles if authorized by the chief of police in writing when the
vehicles are located and operated solely within the City.
BUS
Every motor vehicle designed for carrying more than ten 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 street when within
any six hundred feet along such street where there are buildings in
use for business or industrial purposes, including but not limited
to, hotels, banks or office buildings, railroad stations and public
buildings which occupy at least three hundred feet of frontage on
one side or three hundred feet collectively on both sides of the street.
CONTROLLED ACCESS ROADWAY
Every street or roadway in respect to which owners or occupants
of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right of access
to or from the same except at such points only and in such manner
as may be determined by the public authority having jurisdiction over
such street or roadway.
CROSSWALK
That part of a roadway at an intersection included within
the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite
sides of the street measured from the curbs or, in the absence of
curbs, from the edges of the traversable roadway; or any portion of
a street at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for
pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface.
DRIVER
Every person who drives or is in actual physical control
of a vehicle.
EXPLOSIVE
Any chemical compound or mechanical mixture that is commonly
used or intended for the purpose of producing an explosion and which
contains any oxidizing and combustive units or other ingredients in
such proportions, quantities or packing that an ignition by fire,
by friction, by concussion, by percussion or by detonator of any part
of the compound or mixture may cause such a sudden generation of highly
heated gases that the resultant gaseous pressures are capable of producing
destructive effects on contiguous objects or of destroying life or
limb.
FARM TRACTOR
Every motor vehicle designed and used primarily as a farm
implement for drawing plows, mowing machines and other implements
of husbandry.
FLAMMABLE LIQUID
Any liquid which has a flash point of seventy degrees Fahrenheit
or less, as determined by a tagliabue or equivalent closed-cup test
device.
INTERSECTION
The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of
the lateral curb lines or, if none, the lateral boundary lines of
the roadways of two streets which join one another at, or approximately
at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon
different streets joining at any other angle may come in conflict.
Where a street includes two roadways thirty feet or more apart, every
crossing of each roadway of such divided street by an intersecting
street shall be regarded as a separate intersection. In the event
such intersecting street also includes two roadways thirty feet or
more apart, every crossing of two roadways of such street shall be
regarded as a separate intersection.
LANED ROADWAY
A roadway which is divided into two or more clearly marked
lanes for vehicular traffic.
MOPED
A vehicle equipped with two or three wheels, foot pedals
to permit muscular propulsion by human power, an automatic transmission
and a motor with cylinder capacity not exceeding fifty cubic centimeters
producing no more than two brake horsepower, which motor is capable
of propelling the vehicle at a maximum speed of no more than thirty
miles per hour on a level road surface.
MOTORCYCLE
Every motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of
the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in
contact with the ground.
MOTOR-DRIVEN CYCLE
Every motorcycle, including motor scooters but excluding
mopeds, with a motor which produces not more than five brake horsepower.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which
is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires,
but not operated upon rails.
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, warning
or guiding traffic.
OWNER
A person who holds the legal Title of a vehicle or, in the
event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional
sale or lease thereof with the right of purchase upon performance
of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right
of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the
event a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, such conditional
vendee or lessee or mortgagor.
PARK
When prohibited, to stand a vehicle, whether occupied or
not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually
engaged in loading or unloading.
PEDESTRIAN VEHICLE
Any self propelled conveyance designed, manufactured and
intended for the exclusive use of persons with a physical disability,
but in no case shall any such vehicle exceed forty inches in width,
produce in excess of twelve brake horsepower or be capable of developing
a speed in excess of twenty-five miles per hour.
PHYSICAL DISABILITY
Any bodily impairment which precludes a person from walking
or otherwise moving about easily as a pedestrian.
POLE TRAILER
Every vehicle without motive power designed to be drawn by
another vehicle and attached to the towing vehicle by means of a reach
or pole, or by being boomed or otherwise secured to the towing vehicle,
and ordinarily used for transporting long or irregularly shaped loads
such as poles, pipes or structural members capable, generally, of
sustaining themselves as beams between the supporting connections.
POLICE OFFICER
Every officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or
to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations.
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.
RAILROAD
A carrier of persons or property upon cars, other than streetcars,
operated upon stationary rails.
RAILROAD SIGN OR SIGNAL
Any sign, signal or device erected by authority of a public
body or official or by a railroad and intended to give notice of the
presence of railroad tracks or the approach of a railroad train.
RAILROAD TRAIN
A steam engine, electric or other motor, with or without
cars coupled thereto, operated upon rails, except streetcars.
RESIDENCE DISTRICT
The territory contiguous to and including a street not comprising
a business district when the property on such street for a distance
of three hundred feet or more is in the main improved with residences
or residences and buildings in use for business.
RIGHT-OF-WAY
The right of one vehicle or pedestrian to proceed in a lawful
manner in preference to another vehicle or pedestrian approaching
under such circumstances of direction, speed and proximity as to give
rise to danger of collision unless one grants precedence to the other.
ROAD TRACTOR
Every motor vehicle designed and used for drawing other vehicles
and not so constructed as to carry any load thereon either independently
or as any part of the weight of a vehicle or load so drawn.
ROADWAY
That portion of a street improved, designed or ordinarily
used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder. In the
event a street includes two or more separate roadways, the term "roadway"
shall refer to any such roadway separately but not to all such roadways
collectively.
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 BUS
Every motor vehicle that complies with the color and identification
requirements set forth in the most recent edition of "Minimum Standards
for School Buses" and is used to transport children to or from school
or in connection with school activities, but not including buses operated
by common carriers in urban transportation of school children.
SEMITRAILER
Every vehicle with or without motive power, other than a
pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being
drawn by a motor vehicle and so constructed that some part of its
weight and that of its load rests upon or is carried by another vehicle.
SIDEWALK
That portion of a street between curb lines, or the lateral
lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines, intended for
the use of pedestrians.
STOP
When required, complete cessation from movement.
STOP, STOPPING OR STANDING
When prohibited, any stopping or standing of a vehicle, whether
occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other
traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or
traffic control sign or signal.
STREET OR HIGHWAY
The entire width between the boundary lines of every way
publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the
public for purposes of vehicular travel. "Street" and "highway" shall
be construed to be synonymous in constructing this chapter.
THROUGH STREET
Every street or portion thereof on which vehicular traffic
is given preferential right-of-way, and at the entrances to which
vehicular traffic from intersecting streets is required by law to
yield the right-of-way to vehicles on such through highway in obedience
to a stop sign, yield sign or other official traffic control device,
when such sign or device is properly erected.
TRAFFIC
Pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles and other
conveyances, either singly or together, while using any street 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 with or without motive power, other than a
pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being
drawn by a motor vehicle and so constructed that no part of its weight
and that of its load rests upon or is carried by another vehicle.
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.
URBAN DISTRICT
The territory contiguous to and including any public street
which is built up with structures devoted to business, industry or
dwelling houses situated at intervals of less than one hundred feet
for a distance of a quarter of a mile or more.
VEHICLE
Every device, in, upon or by which any person or property
is or may be transported or drawn upon a street, except devices moved
by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.