Clovis Municipal Code Art. 3 Enforcement and Obedience to Traffic Regulations

Officers of the Police Department and such officers as are assigned by the Chief of Police are hereby authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand, audible, or other signal in conformance with traffic laws, except that in the event of a fire or other emergency or to expedite traffic or to safeguard pedestrians, officers of the Police Department or members of the Fire Department may direct traffic as conditions may require, notwithstanding the provisions to the contrary contained in this chapter or the Vehicle Cede.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965)

No person, other than an officer of the Police Department, members of the Fire Department, a person authorized by the Chief of Police, or a person authorized by law, shall direct or attempt to direct traffic by voice, hand, or other signal, except that persons may operate, when and as provided in this chapter, any mechanical pushbutton signal erected by order of the City Engineer.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965, as amended by Ord. 94-6, eff. March 24, 1994)

No person shall fail or refuse to comply with, or to perform, any act forbidden by any lawful order, signal, or direction of a traffic or police officer, a member of the Fire Department, or a person authorized by the Chief of Police or by law.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965)

Every person riding a bicycle or riding or driving an animal upon a highway shall have all the rights, and shall be subject to all the duties, applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter, except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965)

No person shall interfere with or obstruct in any way any police officer or other officer or employee of the City in his enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. The removal, obliteration, or concealment of any chalk mark or other distinguishing mark used by any police officer or other employee or officer of the City in connection with the enforcement of the parking regulations of this chapter shall, if done for the purpose of evading the provisions of this chapter, constitute such interference or obstruction.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965)

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the operator of any vehicle owned by or used in the service of the United States government, the State, or any county or city, and it shall be unlawful for any such operator to violate any of the provisions of this chapter except as otherwise permitted in this chapter or by the Vehicle Code.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965)

(a) The provisions of this chapter regulating the operation, parking, and standing of vehicles shall not apply to vehicles operated by the Police or Fire Department, any public ambulance, 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 exemptions set forth in subsection (a) of this section 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 to any vehicle owned or operated by the United States Post Office Department while in use for the collection, transportation, or delivery of United States mail.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965)

(a) The operator of a vehicle or the person in charge of any animal involved in any accident resulting in damages 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, or electric light or power pole, or resulting in damages to any tree, traffic control device, or other property of a like nature located in or along any street, shall, within twenty-four (24) hours after such accident, make a written report of such accident to the Police Department of the 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, and 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 (24) hours after regaining ability to make such report.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965)

Any regularly employed and salaried officer of the Police Department of the City may remove or cause to be removed:

(a) Any vehicle which has been parked or left standing upon a street or highway for seventy-two (72) or more consecutive hours;

(b) Any vehicle which is parked or left standing upon a street or highway between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. when such parking or standing is prohibited by law or resolution of the City and signs are posted giving notice of such removal;

(c) Any vehicle which is parked or left standing upon a street or highway where the use of such street or highway, or a portion thereof, is necessary for the cleaning, repair, or construction of the street or highway or for the installation of underground utilities, or where the use of the street or highway, or any portion thereof, is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic, or where the use of the street or highway, or any portion thereof, is necessary for the movement of equipment, articles, or structures of unusual size and the parking of such vehicle would prohibit or interfere with such use or movement; provided, however, signs giving notice that such vehicle may be removed are erected or placed at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the removal.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965)

At places where large numbers of people and vehicles are to gather or have gathered, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent any police officer from prohibiting any person from parking any vehicle upon or using any street or sidewalk or from prohibiting any pedestrian from using any street or sidewalk, and such police officer shall have the authority to direct the parking of vehicles in any reasonable manner, way, or direction, and it is hereby declared to be unlawful for any person to fail to promptly obey such police officer’s order, signal, or command, regardless of any other provision of this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965)

It shall be unlawful for any person who is under the influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotic drugs to be in or about any vehicle to which he has right or access or control while such vehicle is in or upon any street or any other public place in the City, unless the same is under the immediate control or operation of a person not under the influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotic drugs.

(§ 1, Ord. 390, eff. December 1, 1965)