[No. 96.] AN ACT to prescribe uniform traffic regulations in the use of public highways within this state, to prescribe penalties for violations of this act, and to repeal acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith. The People of the State of Michigan enact: uniform defined. SECTION 1. This act shall be known as the Michigan uni- Michigan form traffic act, and it is hereby declared to be the expressed traffic act. intent of the legislature that the provisions hereof shall be applicable throughout the state, excepting as herein otherwise provided, the provisions of any local or municipal laws or regulations to the contrary notwithstanding. The term "high- "Highway" way" as used herein shall be deemed to mean and include the public wagon roads and highways, and the streets, avenues, boulevards and other public driveways within the several villages and cities in this state. The term "motor vehicle" shall "Motor be construed as meaning the same as now defined in act number three hundred two of the public acts of nineteen hundred fifteen, as amended, and nothing in this act contained shall be construed as contravening the provisions of the said act, excepting such provisions hereof as are expressly contrary thereto. vehicle." vehicles. SEC. 2. Slow moving vehicles shall keep as near to the right Slow moving side of the highway as possible, allowing more rapidly moving vehicles free passage to their left. cars. SEC. 3. Passing street cars. Within the limits of any in- Passing street corporated village or city having a street railway system operating therein, including motor bus street cars, except busses loading or unloading at the curb, and on any paved highway outside of any incorporated village or city having a street railway system operating on the center of the traveled portion of the highway, it shall be the duty of the driver of any motor vehicle, on approaching in the same direction, such street car or bus, if the same is stopping or has stopped to take on or to discharge passengers, to bring his vehicle to a dead stop not nearer than six feet in rear of the rear door of such street car or bus, and to wait there until all passengers are taken on and until all descending passengers shall have cleared the driveway of such street before starting; and in case such motor vehicle had overtaken, but had not passed all doors of such street car or bus before the same had stopped for such purposes, the driver of such motor vehicle shall stop his car and remain in place until the loading or unloading of such passengers shall be completed and the driveways of the street. shall be cleared of such passengers: Provided, however, That Proviso. the provisions of this section shall not apply to street car stopping points at or near street intersections where traffic officers are stationed to regulate traffic thereat; nor at such Stop and turn signals. Proviso. Right of way. Proviso, "through traffic streets." Dangerous crossings, who to designate. other intersections as are adequately guarded under the supervision and designation of the department of police of any village or city. No conductor or motorman on any street car or bus or interurban car, operating on any highway, shall open a car door for the purpose of allowing a passenger to descend from the car before such car has been brought to a complete stop. SEC. 4. Stop and turn signals. Before turning to the right or the left to leave a highway, and before turning around or stopping thereon, the driver of a motor vehicle shall give a timely warning signal to other drivers by extending the arm beyond and outside of the side of the vehicle, holding the same in such position for a sufficient time to apprise approaching drivers of vehicles of his intention to change his course or stop, as the case may be: Provided, however, That in lieu of such signal above required signals may be given by any mechanical or electrical device which conveys an intelligible signal or warning to another driver approaching from the rear. In all such cases the driver of a motor vehicle to whom such a signal has been given, as required in this section, shall bring and keep his vehicle under such control as to be able to avoid an accident resulting from any misunderstanding of such signals, and shall in all cases heed any such warning as shall have been given him. SEC. 5. Right of way. (a) When motor vehicles approach an intersection of a state trunk line highway and any other highway at the same time, the vehicle proceeding on the state highway trunk line shall have the right of way. (b) When motor vehicles approach an intersection of two or more intersecting state trunk line highways at the same time, the vehicle approaching on the right of the driver shall have the right of way. (c) When motor vehicles approach an intersection of two or more highways other than state trunk lines, at the same time, the vehicles approaching on the driver's right shall have the right of way: Provided, That cities may designate "through traffic streets" on which traffic shall have right of way at all intersections except those of state trunk line highways. (d) Any vehicle proceeding on any street in a city or incorporated village, desiring to turn into another street to the left, shall turn as near the center of the intersection of the two streets as practicable. (e) The public utilities commission and the state highway commissioner, acting jointly, are hereby given authority to designate any railroad crossing or crossings in this state as a "dangerous crossing" and when any crossing is so desig nated as a "dangerous crossing," suitable warning signs shall be provided and erected by the state highway department at a prominent place or places on the highway on each side of railroad right of way within a reasonable distance of such crossing. (f) It shall be unlawful to park a vehicle on the beaten track or paved surface of any highway outside the limits of any village or city. (g) The provisions of paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this section shall not apply at intersections of highways where traffic is controlled by traffic officers. SEC. 6. Penalties, etc. Any person violating any of the Penalties. provisions of this act shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding ninety days, or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court, with costs of prosecution to be added in either case; and all police justices of any city. and all justices of the peace of any county where such violations occur, shall have jurisdiction over any offense against the provisions of this act. Approved April 27, 1923. [No. 97.] AN ACT to amend section nine of chapter two of act number two hundred eighty-three of the public acts of nineteen hundred nine, entitled "An act to revise, consolidate and add to the laws relating to the establishment, opening, improvement, maintenance and use of the public highways and private roads, the condemnation of property and gravel therefor; the building, repairing and preservation of bridges; setting and protecting shade trees, drainage, cutting weeds and brush within this state, and providing for the election and defining the powers, duties and compensation of state, county, township and district highway officials," being section four thousand three hundred twenty-six of the compiled laws of nineteen hundred fifteen. The People of the State of Michigan enact: SECTION 1. Section nine of chapter two of act number two section hundred eighty-three of the public acts of nineteen hundred amended. nine, entitled "An act to revise, consolidate and add to the laws relating to the establishment, opening, improvement, maintenance and use of the public highways and private roads, the condemnation of property and gravel therefor; the building, repairing and preservation of bridges; setting and protecting shade trees, drainage, cutting weeds and brush within this state, and providing for the election and defining the powers, duties and compensation of state, county, township and district highway officials," being section four thousand three hundred twenty-six of the compiled laws of nineteen hundred fifteen, is hereby amended to read as follows: Division into road districts. Proviso, repair tax. Defects in highway, report of. SEC. 9. The commissioner, acting with the township board, may divide the township into one or more road districts in each surveyed township, in each of which districts an overseer of highways shall be elected: Provided, That the repair tax shall be expended or worked in the road district where assessed. The commissioner and township board of any township in which may be located an unincorporated village, or in the event that such unincorporated village is located in more than one township, the commissioners and township boards of the townships to be affected thereby, may create of the territory embraced by such unincorporated village a separate road district, for which road district there shall be elected an overseer in the same manner as overseers are elected in the township. And in case such unincorporated village is located in more than one township, the overseer of each township shall have supervision of that territory embraced in such unincorporated village as may be located in his township. Such overseers shall from time to time report to the commissioner any defects in the highways within their respective districts, and shall, when required by the commissioner, supervise the working and repairing of roads and the building and repairing of roads, and the building and repairing of bridges therein. The overseer or overseers of any road district comprising &n unincorporated village, as provided in this section, upon the written application of a majority of the taxpayers residing therein, may authorize such additional part of the road repair tax assessed in said district, as may not be necessary for the repairs of highways therein, but not less than one-fourth thereof, used for the construction, repair and improvement of sidewalks within the limits of said district. The taxpayers of any unincorporated village which is or may be formed into separate road districts, may raise such a sum or sums of money in the repair fund of such district, but not in excess of fifty cents per hundred dollars, as provided in this section, as they may deem necessary for the construction and maintenance of sidewalks and streets in such unincorporated village and in addition to the money raised for the whole townHow raised. ship. Such additional tax shall not be raised except on an affirmative, viva voce vote of a majority of the taxpayers in such unincorporated village, taken either at the annual township meeting or at a special meeting held in and for said Special meet village. Such special meeting shall be called either by the township board or boards, if such village is in more than one township, and at the request of five taxpayers in said village, but in all other respects as provided by the general law for calling township meetings, or it may be called by five or more taxpayers in said village posting a notice, signed by them, in three or more public places in said village, stating the time, Expenditure. place and purpose of such meeting. The money raised thereby shall be expended for sidewalks and streets in said village, under the direction and supervision of the township board and highway commissioner of the township or townships in Repair fund for sidewalks, etc. ing, who to call. anticipate which such unincorporated village is located. The overseer May or overseers, when such unincorporated village may be located tax. in more than one county, may also from time to time, by writing signed by him or them and filed with the clerk of such township or townships, authorize such additional portion of the repair tax of such village as in his or their judgment is not needed for the annual repairs of the highways therein. to be anticipated for one or more years, not exceeding three, and thereupon any person or corporation, resident or owning property within such village, and assessed for highway repair tax in the district within which such district is situated, may, in the year so designated in such order, anticipate his, her or its assessment for road repair tax for such time as he, she or it may see fit within the limits so prescribed by the overseer of that part of the road district in which such repairs shall be made, and it shall be the duty of such overseer to give to such person or corporation a certificate signed by him, showing the amount of road repair tax paid by such person or corporation; and in each succeeding year, upon presentation of such certificate, such person or corporation shall be allowed and credited by the overseer of highways of that part of the district in which such repairs or the construction of sidewalks shall have been made, with the payment of the road repair tax so assessed to him, her or it for such year, until such credit shall equal the amount of the road repair tax so stated in said certificate to have been anticipated, and such overseer shall endorse thereon a statement signed by him showing such credit or allowance. The supervision of road Road work, work and the repair of highways and bridges shall be under etc., superthe charge of the overseers, subject to such directory control of the township board and highway commissioner as is herein prescribed: Provided further, That upon complaint in writing Proviso. to the township board by any ten or more resident taxpayers that the road repair fund is being unequally and unjustly applied, or work improperly performed, the township board may direct the expenditures of such road repair fund or the manner of performing such work: Provided further, That Further not to exceed twenty-five dollars shall be expended by the etc. highway commissioners in any one year for tools or machinery, without the consent of the township board: Provided further, Further That not exceeding one hundred dollars shall be expended from the road repair fund on any one mile of highway, unless ctherwise directed by the township board. Approved May 2, 1923. vision of. proviso, tools, proviso. |