Carpinteria Municipal Code Ch. 10.08 Traffic Administration

Footnotes:

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For statutory provisions on local regulations pertaining to vehicles removal from streets, see Vehicle Code § 22652.

There is established in the police department of this city a traffic division to be under the control of an officer of police appointed by and directly responsible to the chief of police.

(Prior code § 3120)

It shall be the duty of the traffic division, with such aid as may be rendered by other members of the police department, to enforce the street traffic regulations of this city and all of the state vehicle laws applicable to street traffic in this city, to make arrests for traffic violations, to investigate traffic accidents and to cooperate with the city traffic engineer and other officers of the city in the administration of the traffic laws and in developing ways and means to improve traffic conditions, and to carry out those duties specially imposed upon such division by this chapter and the traffic ordinances of this city.

(Prior code § 3121)

Whenever the accidents at any particular location become numerous, the traffic division shall cooperate with the city traffic engineer in conducting studies of such accidents and determining remedial measures.

(Prior code § 3122)

The traffic division shall maintain a suitable system of filing traffic accident reports. Accident reports or cards referring to them shall be filed alphabetically by location. Such reports shall be available for the use and information of the city traffic engineer.

(Prior code § 3123)

The traffic division shall annually prepare a traffic report which shall be filed with the city council. Such a report shall contain information on traffic matters in this city as follows:

A. The number of traffic accidents, the number of persons killed, the number of persons injured, and other pertinent traffic accident data;

B. The number of traffic accidents investigated and other pertinent data on the safety activities of the police;

C. The plans and recommendations of the division for future traffic safety activities.

(Prior code § 3124)

The office of the city traffic engineer is established. The city traffic engineer shall be appointed by the city manager and he shall exercise the powers and duties as provided in this chapter and in the other traffic ordinances of this city. Whenever the city traffic engineer is required or authorized to place or maintain official traffic control devices or signals, he may cause such devices or signals to be placed or maintained.

(Prior code § 3125)

It shall be the general duty of the city traffic engineer to determine the installation and proper timing and maintenance of traffic control devices and signals, to conduct engineering analysis of traffic accidents and devise remedial measures, to conduct engineering and traffic investigations of traffic conditions and to cooperate with other city officials in the development of ways and means to improve traffic conditions, and to carry out the additional powers and duties imposed by ordinances and this code. Whenever, by the provisions of this title, a power is granted to the city traffic engineer or a duty imposed upon him, the power may be exercised or the duty performed by his deputy or by a person authorized in writing by him.

(Prior code § 3126)

There is established an advisory traffic safety committee to serve without compensation and consisting of the city traffic engineer, the chief of police or his representative, the community development director or his representative, three citizens including a senior student representing the school, the safety committee of the Carpinteria Unified School District, and such other city officials or representatives of special districts as may be recommended by the city manager and approved by the city council.

(Ord. 322 § 1, 1982: prior code § 3127)

It shall be the duty of the traffic committee to suggest the most practicable means for coordinating the activities of all officers and agencies of this city having authority with respect to the administration or enforcement of traffic regulations, to stimulate and assist in the preparation and publication of traffic reports, to receive complaints having to do with traffic matters, and to recommend to the legislative body of this city and to the city traffic engineer, the chief of traffic division and other city officials ways and means for improving traffic conditions and the administration and enforcement of traffic regulations.

(Prior code § 3128)

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 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 is physically incapable of making a report, but in such event he shall make a report as required in subsection A of this section, within twenty-four hours after regaining ability to make such report.

(Prior code § 3136)

A. The provisions of this title regulating the operation, parking and standing of vehicles shall not apply to vehicles operated by the police or the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District, any public ambulance or any public utility vehicle or any private ambulance, which public utility vehicle 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 or the consequences of his wilful 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 or operated by the United States Post Office Department while in use for the collections, transportation or delivery of United States Mail.

(Prior code § 3135)