Arcata Municipal Code Art. 2 Enforcement and Obedience to Traffic Regulations

(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 street traffic laws of this City and all of the state vehicle laws applicable to street traffic in this 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 conformation 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 Arcata Fire Protection District, when at the scene of a fire, may direct or assist the police in directing traffic thereat or in the immediate vicinity.

No person shall willfully fail to or refuse to comply with any lawful order of a police officer or fire district official when directing traffic.

No person other than an officer of the Police Department or a person deputized by the Chief of Police or person authorized by law shall direct or attempt to direct traffic by voice, and/or other signal.

The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to the driver of any vehicle owned by or used in the service of the United States Government, this state, any county or city, and it shall be unlawful for any said driver to violate any of the provisions of this Chapter except as otherwise permitted in this Chapter or by state statute.

(a) The provisions of this Chapter regulating the operation, parking and standing of vehicles shall not apply to any vehicle of the City Police Department or the Arcata Fire Protection District, any public ambulance or any public utility vehicle or any private ambulance, which public utility vehicles or private ambulances have qualified as an authorized emergency vehicle, when any vehicle mentioned in this section is operated in the manner specified in the vehicle code in response to an emergency call.

(b) The foregoing exemptions shall not, however, protect the driver of any such vehicle from the consequences of the willful disregard of the safety of others.

(c) The provisions of this Chapter 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 by the United States while in use for the collection, transportation or delivery of United States mail.

(a) The driver 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, ornamental lighting post, telephone pole, electric light or power pole, or resulting in damage to any ornamental shade tree, traffic control device or other property of a like nature located in or along any street, shall within twenty-four hours (24) 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 driving or in charge of such vehicle or animal, the license number of every such vehicle, and shall briefly describe the property damaged in such accident.

(c) A driver involved in an accident shall not be subject to the requirements or penalties of this section if and during the time such driver is physically incapable of making a report, but in such event said driver shall make a report as required in subdivision (a) within 24 hours after regaining ability to make such report.