Ridgecrest Municipal Code § 15-26 Traffic accident reports

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

(Code 1980, § 4-1.201; Ord. No. 89-10, § 2)

The duty of the traffic enforcement division shall, with such aid as may be rendered by other members of the police department, enforce the street traffic regulations of the city and all of the state vehicle laws applicable to street traffic in the city, to make arrests for traffic violations, to investigate traffic accidents and to cooperate with the 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 said division by this article.

(Code 1980, § 4-1.202; Ord. No. 89-10, § 2)

The position of traffic engineer is hereby established. The traffic engineer shall exercise the powers and duties as provided in this chapter. Under the director of public works, the traffic engineer shall be responsible for all traffic engineering division functions in the public works department. The public works director may act as traffic engineer.

(Code 1980, § 4-1.203; Ord. No. 89-10, § 2)

(a) The traffic engineer shall determine the installation and proper timing and maintenance of traffic control devices and signals, conduct engineering analyses of traffic accidents and devise remedial measures, conduct engineering and traffic survey of traffic conditions and cooperate with other city officials in the development of ways and means to improve traffic conditions, and carry out the additional powers and duties imposed by ordinances of the city.

(b) Whenever the 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.

(c) Whenever, by the provisions of this chapter, a power is granted to the traffic engineer or a duty imposed upon him, the power may be exercised or the duty performed by a person authorized in writing by him.

(Code 1980, § 4-1.204; Ord. No. 89-10, § 2)

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

(Code 1980, § 4-1.205; Ord. No. 89-10, § 2)

The traffic enforcement division and/or the traffic engineering division shall maintain a suitable system of filing traffic accident reports. Such reports shall be available for the use and information of the supervising officer of the traffic enforcement division and the traffic engineer.

(Code 1980, § 4-1.206; Ord. No. 89-10, § 2)

(a) The chief of police by and with the approval of the traffic engineer is hereby empowered to make regulations necessary to make effective the provisions of the traffic ordinances of the city and to make and enforce temporary or experimental regulations to cover emergencies or special conditions. No such temporary or experimental regulation shall remain in effect for more than 90 days. To the extent practicable, the chief of police or traffic engineer shall provide the city council with advance notice through the city manager of any such experimental program.

(b) The traffic engineer may test traffic control devices under actual conditions of traffic.

(c) The chief of police may authorize the temporary placing of official traffic control devices when required by an emergency. The chief of police shall notify the traffic engineer of his action as soon thereafter as is practicable.

(Code 1980, § 4-1.207; Ord. No. 89-10, § 2)

The traffic enforcement division and/or traffic engineering division shall prepare a traffic report which shall be filed with the city council. Such a report shall contain information on traffic matters in the city as follows:

(1) The number of traffic accidents, the number of persons killed, the number of persons injured, and other pertinent traffic accident data;

(2) The number of traffic accidents investigated and other pertinent data on the safety activities of the police;

(3) The plans and recommendations of the traffic enforcement division and the traffic engineering division for future traffic safety activities.

(Code 1980, § 4-1.208; Ord. No. 89-10, § 2)

The council may establish an advisory traffic committee to serve without compensation, consisting of the chief of police or his representative, a judge or a qualified citizen, the traffic engineer, a member of the city council and the city manager or his representative. The chairperson of the committee shall be the city council member.

(Code 1980, § 4-1.209; Ord. No. 89-10, § 2)

The traffic committee shall suggest the most practicable means for coordinating the activities of all officers and agencies of the city having authority with respect to the administration and enforcement of traffic regulations; to stimulate and assist in the preparation and publication of traffic reports; to receive complaints regarding traffic matters; and to recommend to the city council and to the supervising officer of the traffic enforcement division and the traffic engineer and other city officials ways and means for improving traffic conditions and the administration and enforcement of traffic regulations.

(Code 1980, § 4-1.210; Ord. No. 89-10, § 2)