| (A) "Vehicle" means every device, including a motorized | 11 |
|
bicycle, in, upon, or by which any person or property may be | 12 |
|
transported or drawn upon a highway, except that "vehicle" does | 13 |
|
not include any motorized wheelchair, any electric personal | 14 |
|
assistive mobility device, any device that is moved by power | 15 |
|
collected from overhead electric trolley wires or that is used | 16 |
|
exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks, or any device, other | 17 |
|
than a bicycle, that is moved by human power. | 18 |
| (B) "Motor vehicle" means every vehicle propelled or drawn by | 19 |
|
power other than muscular power or power collected from overhead | 20 |
|
electric trolley wires, except motorized bicycles, road rollers, | 21 |
|
traction engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment | 22 |
|
used in construction work and not designed for or employed in | 23 |
|
general highway transportation, hole-digging machinery, | 24 |
|
well-drilling machinery, ditch-digging machinery, farm machinery, | 25 |
|
and trailers designed and used exclusively to transport a boat | 26 |
|
between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a | 27 |
|
marina, when drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance | 28 |
|
of no more than ten miles and at a speed of twenty-five miles per | 29 |
|
hour or less. | 30 |
(C)(1) Until January 1, 2017, "Motorcyclemotorcycle" means | 31 |
|
every motor vehicle, other than a tractor, having a seat or saddle | 32 |
|
for the use of the operator and designed to travel on not more | 33 |
|
than three wheels in contact with the ground, including, but not | 34 |
|
limited to, motor vehicles known as "motor-driven cycle," "motor | 35 |
|
scooter," or "motorcycle" without regard to weight or brake | 36 |
|
horsepower. | 37 |
| (2) Effective January 1, 2017, "motorcycle" means every motor | 38 |
|
vehicle, other than a tractor, having a seat or saddle for the use | 39 |
|
of the operator and designed to travel on not more than three | 40 |
|
wheels in contact with the ground, including, but not limited to, | 41 |
|
motor vehicles known as "motor-driven cycle," "motor scooter," | 42 |
|
"cab-enclosed motorcycle," or "motorcycle" without regard to | 43 |
|
weight or brake horsepower. | 44 |
| (3) Any motor vehicle when properly identified as required by | 58 |
|
the director of public safety, when used in response to fire | 59 |
|
emergency calls or to provide emergency medical service to ill or | 60 |
|
injured persons, and when operated by a duly qualified person who | 61 |
|
is a member of a volunteer rescue service or a volunteer fire | 62 |
|
department, and who is on duty pursuant to the rules or directives | 63 |
|
of that service. The state fire marshal shall be designated by the | 64 |
|
director of public safety as the certifying agency for all public | 65 |
|
safety vehicles described in division (E)(3) of this section. | 66 |
| (F) "School bus" means every bus designed for carrying more | 79 |
|
than nine passengers that is owned by a public, private, or | 80 |
|
governmental agency or institution of learning and operated for | 81 |
|
the transportation of children to or from a school session or a | 82 |
|
school function, or owned by a private person and operated for | 83 |
|
compensation for the transportation of children to or from a | 84 |
|
school session or a school function, provided "school bus" does | 85 |
|
not include a bus operated by a municipally owned transportation | 86 |
|
system, a mass transit company operating exclusively within the | 87 |
|
territorial limits of a municipal corporation, or within such | 88 |
|
limits and the territorial limits of municipal corporations | 89 |
|
immediately contiguous to such municipal corporation, nor a common | 90 |
|
passenger carrier certified by the public utilities commission | 91 |
|
unless such bus is devoted exclusively to the transportation of | 92 |
|
children to and from a school session or a school function, and | 93 |
|
"school bus" does not include a van or bus used by a licensed | 94 |
|
child day-care center or type A family day-care home to transport | 95 |
|
children from the child day-care center or type A family day-care | 96 |
|
home to a school if the van or bus does not have more than fifteen | 97 |
|
children in the van or bus at any time. | 98 |
(H)(1) Until January 1, 2017, "Motorizedmotorized bicycle" | 104 |
|
means any vehicle having either two tandem wheels or one wheel in | 105 |
|
the front and two wheels in the rear, that is capable of being | 106 |
|
pedaled and is equipped with a helper motor of not more than fifty | 107 |
|
cubic centimeters piston displacement that produces no more than | 108 |
|
one brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the vehicle at a | 109 |
|
speed of no greater than twenty miles per hour on a level surface. | 110 |
| (2) Effective January 1, 2017, "motorized bicycle" or "moped" | 111 |
|
means any vehicle having either two tandem wheels or one wheel in | 112 |
|
the front and two wheels in the rear, that may be pedaled, and | 113 |
|
that is equipped with a helper motor of not more than fifty cubic | 114 |
|
centimeters piston displacement that produces not more than one | 115 |
|
brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the vehicle at a | 116 |
|
speed of not greater than twenty miles per hour on a level | 117 |
|
surface. | 118 |
| (L) "Bus" means every motor vehicle designed for carrying | 131 |
|
more than nine passengers and used for the transportation of | 132 |
|
persons other than in a ridesharing arrangement, and every motor | 133 |
|
vehicle, automobile for hire, or funeral car, other than a taxicab | 134 |
|
or motor vehicle used in a ridesharing arrangement, designed and | 135 |
|
used for the transportation of persons for compensation. | 136 |
| (M) "Trailer" means every vehicle designed or used for | 137 |
|
carrying persons or property wholly on its own structure and for | 138 |
|
being drawn by a motor vehicle, including any such vehicle when | 139 |
|
formed by or operated as a combination of a "semitrailer" and a | 140 |
|
vehicle of the dolly type, such as that commonly known as a | 141 |
|
"trailer dolly," a vehicle used to transport agricultural produce | 142 |
|
or agricultural production materials between a local place of | 143 |
|
storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a street or | 144 |
|
highway at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour, and a | 145 |
|
vehicle designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between | 146 |
|
a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when | 147 |
|
drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance of more than | 148 |
|
ten miles or at a speed of more than twenty-five miles per hour. | 149 |
| (O) "Pole trailer" means every trailer or semitrailer | 154 |
|
attached to the towing vehicle by means of a reach, pole, or by | 155 |
|
being boomed or otherwise secured to the towing vehicle, and | 156 |
|
ordinarily used for transporting long or irregular shaped loads | 157 |
|
such as poles, pipes, or structural members capable, generally, of | 158 |
|
sustaining themselves as beams between the supporting connections. | 159 |
| (T) "Explosives" means any chemical compound or mechanical | 171 |
|
mixture that is intended for the purpose of producing an explosion | 172 |
|
that contains any oxidizing and combustible units or other | 173 |
|
ingredients in such proportions, quantities, or packing that an | 174 |
|
ignition by fire, by friction, by concussion, by percussion, or by | 175 |
|
a detonator of any part of the compound or mixture may cause such | 176 |
|
a sudden generation of highly heated gases that the resultant | 177 |
|
gaseous pressures are capable of producing destructive effects on | 178 |
|
contiguous objects, or of destroying life or limb. Manufactured | 179 |
|
articles shall not be held to be explosives when the individual | 180 |
|
units contain explosives in such limited quantities, of such | 181 |
|
nature, or in such packing, that it is impossible to procure a | 182 |
|
simultaneous or a destructive explosion of such units, to the | 183 |
|
injury of life, limb, or property by fire, by friction, by | 184 |
|
concussion, by percussion, or by a detonator, such as fixed | 185 |
|
ammunition for small arms, firecrackers, or safety fuse matches. | 186 |
| (II) "State highway" means a highway under the jurisdiction | 230 |
|
of the department of transportation, outside the limits of | 231 |
|
municipal corporations, provided that the authority conferred upon | 232 |
|
the director of transportation in section 5511.01 of the Revised | 233 |
|
Code to erect state highway route markers and signs directing | 234 |
|
traffic shall not be modified by sections 4511.01 to 4511.79 and | 235 |
|
4511.99 of the Revised Code. | 236 |
| (1) The area embraced within the prolongation or connection | 240 |
|
of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, the lateral boundary lines | 241 |
|
of the roadways of two highways that join one another at, or | 242 |
|
approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles | 243 |
|
traveling upon different highways that join at any other angle | 244 |
|
might come into conflict. The junction of an alley or driveway | 245 |
|
with a roadway or highway does not constitute an intersection | 246 |
|
unless the roadway or highway at the junction is controlled by a | 247 |
|
traffic control device. | 248 |
| (NN) "Business district" means the territory fronting upon a | 284 |
|
street or highway, including the street or highway, between | 285 |
|
successive intersections within municipal corporations where fifty | 286 |
|
per cent or more of the frontage between such successive | 287 |
|
intersections is occupied by buildings in use for business, or | 288 |
|
within or outside municipal corporations where fifty per cent or | 289 |
|
more of the frontage for a distance of three hundred feet or more | 290 |
|
is occupied by buildings in use for business, and the character of | 291 |
|
such territory is indicated by official traffic control devices. | 292 |
| (QQ) "Traffic control device" means a flagger, sign, signal, | 304 |
|
marking, or other device used to regulate, warn, or guide traffic, | 305 |
|
placed on, over, or adjacent to a street, highway, private road | 306 |
|
open to public travel, pedestrian facility, or shared-use path by | 307 |
|
authority of a public agency or official having jurisdiction, or, | 308 |
|
in the case of a private road open to public travel, by authority | 309 |
|
of the private owner or private official having jurisdiction. | 310 |
| (2) A general term denoting land, property, or the interest | 330 |
|
therein, usually in the configuration of a strip, acquired for or | 331 |
|
devoted to transportation purposes. When used in this context, | 332 |
|
right-of-way includes the roadway, shoulders or berm, ditch, and | 333 |
|
slopes extending to the right-of-way limits under the control of | 334 |
|
the state or local authority. | 335 |
| (1) A violation of section 4511.03, 4511.051, 4511.12, | 383 |
|
4511.132, 4511.16, 4511.20, 4511.201, 4511.21, 4511.211, 4511.213, | 384 |
|
4511.22, 4511.23, 4511.25, 4511.26, 4511.27, 4511.28, 4511.29, | 385 |
|
4511.30, 4511.31, 4511.32, 4511.33, 4511.34, 4511.35, 4511.36, | 386 |
|
4511.37, 4511.38, 4511.39, 4511.40, 4511.41, 4511.42, 4511.43, | 387 |
|
4511.431, 4511.432, 4511.44, 4511.441, 4511.451, 4511.452, | 388 |
|
4511.46, 4511.47, 4511.48, 4511.481, 4511.49, 4511.50, 4511.511, | 389 |
|
4511.53, 4511.54, 4511.55, 4511.56, 4511.57, 4511.58, 4511.59, | 390 |
|
4511.60, 4511.61, 4511.64, 4511.66, 4511.661, 4511.68, 4511.70, | 391 |
|
4511.701, 4511.71, 4511.711, 4511.712, 4511.713, 4511.72, 4511.73, | 392 |
|
4511.763, 4511.771, 4511.78, or 4511.84 of the Revised Code; | 393 |
| (OOO) "Private road open to public travel" means a private | 431 |
|
toll road or road, including any adjacent sidewalks that generally | 432 |
|
run parallel to the road, within a shopping center, airport, | 433 |
|
sports arena, or other similar business or recreation facility | 434 |
|
that is privately owned but where the public is allowed to travel | 435 |
|
without access restrictions. "Private road open to public travel" | 436 |
|
includes a gated toll road but does not include a road within a | 437 |
|
private gated property where access is restricted at all times, a | 438 |
|
parking area, a driving aisle within a parking area, or a private | 439 |
|
grade crossing. | 440 |
| (PPP) "Shared-use path" means a bikeway outside the traveled | 441 |
|
way and physically separated from motorized vehicular traffic by | 442 |
|
an open space or barrier and either within the highway | 443 |
|
right-of-way or within an independent alignment. A shared-use path | 444 |
|
also may be used by pedestrians, including skaters, joggers, users | 445 |
|
of manual and motorized wheelchairs, and other authorized | 446 |
|
motorized and non-motorized users. | 447 |
| Sec. 4511.04. (A) Sections 4511.01 to 4511.18, 4511.20 to | 453 |
|
4511.78, 4511.99, and 4513.01 to 4513.37 of the Revised Code do | 454 |
|
not apply to persons, teams, motor vehicles, and other equipment | 455 |
|
while actually engaged in work upon the surface of a highway | 456 |
|
within an area designated by traffic control devices, but apply to | 457 |
|
such persons and vehicles when traveling to or from such work. | 458 |
| (B) The driver of a highway maintenance vehicle owned by this | 459 |
|
state or any political subdivision of this state, while the driver | 460 |
|
is engaged in the performance of official duties upon a street or | 461 |
|
highway, provided the highway maintenance vehicle is equipped with | 462 |
|
flashing lights and such other markings as are required by law and | 463 |
|
such lights are in operation when the driver and vehicle are so | 464 |
|
engaged, shall be exempt from criminal prosecution for violations | 465 |
|
of sections 4511.22, 4511.25, 4511.26, 4511.27, 4511.28, 4511.30, | 466 |
|
4511.31, 4511.33, 4511.35, 4511.66, 4513.02, and 5577.01 to | 467 |
|
5577.09 of the Revised Code. | 468 |
| (C)(1) This section does not exempt a driver of a highway | 469 |
|
maintenance vehicle from civil liability arising from a violation | 470 |
|
of section 4511.22, 4511.25, 4511.26, 4511.27, 4511.28, 4511.30, | 471 |
|
4511.31, 4511.33, 4511.35, 4511.66, or 4513.02 or sections 5577.01 | 472 |
|
to 5577.09 of the Revised Code. | 473 |
(D) As used in this section, "highway maintenance vehicle" | 478 |
means a vehicle used in snow and ice removal or road surface | 479 |
maintenance, including a snow plow, traffic line striper, road | 480 |
sweeper, mowing machine, asphalt distributing vehicle, or other | 481 |
such vehicle designed for use in specific highway maintenance | 482 |
activities. | 483 |
| Sec. 4511.213. (A) The driver of a motor vehicle, upon | 484 |
approaching a stationary public safety vehicle, an emergency | 485 |
vehicle, or a road service vehicle, or a highway maintenance | 486 |
|
vehicle that is displaying the appropriate visual signals by means | 487 |
|
of flashing, oscillating, or rotating lights, as prescribed in | 488 |
|
section 4513.17 of the Revised Code, shall do either of the | 489 |
|
following: | 490 |
| (1) If the driver of the motor vehicle is traveling on a | 491 |
|
highway that consists of at least two lanes that carry traffic in | 492 |
|
the same direction of travel as that of the driver's motor | 493 |
|
vehicle, the driver shall proceed with due caution and, if | 494 |
|
possible and with due regard to the road, weather, and traffic | 495 |
|
conditions, shall change lanes into a lane that is not adjacent to | 496 |
that of the stationary public safety vehicle, an emergency | 497 |
vehicle, or a road service vehicle, or a highway maintenance | 498 |
|
vehicle. | 499 |
| (2) If the driver is not traveling on a highway of a type | 500 |
|
described in division (A)(1) of this section, or if the driver is | 501 |
|
traveling on a highway of that type but it is not possible to | 502 |
|
change lanes or if to do so would be unsafe, the driver shall | 503 |
|
proceed with due caution, reduce the speed of the motor vehicle, | 504 |
|
and maintain a safe speed for the road, weather, and traffic | 505 |
|
conditions. | 506 |
| (D)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this division, whoever | 515 |
|
violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If, within | 516 |
|
one year of the offense, the offender previously has been | 517 |
|
convicted of or pleaded guilty to one predicate motor vehicle or | 518 |
|
traffic offense, whoever violates this section is guilty of a | 519 |
|
misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If, within one year of the | 520 |
|
offense, the offender previously has been convicted of two or more | 521 |
|
predicate motor vehicle or traffic offenses, whoever violates this | 522 |
|
section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. | 523 |
| (B) Any lighted light or illuminating device upon a motor | 535 |
|
vehicle, other than headlights, spotlights, signal lights, or | 536 |
|
auxiliary driving lights, that projects a beam of light of an | 537 |
|
intensity greater than three hundred candle power, shall be so | 538 |
|
directed that no part of the beam will strike the level of the | 539 |
|
roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than | 540 |
|
seventy-five feet from the vehicle. | 541 |
| (C)(1) Flashing lights are prohibited on motor vehicles, | 542 |
|
except as a means for indicating a right or a left turn, or in the | 543 |
|
presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in | 544 |
|
approaching, or overtaking or passing. This prohibition does not | 545 |
|
apply to emergency vehicles, road service vehicles servicing or | 546 |
towing a disabled vehicle, traffic line stripers, snow plows, | 547 |
|
rural mail delivery vehicles, vehicles as provided in section | 548 |
4513.182 of the Revised Code, department of transportationhighway | 549 |
|
maintenance vehicles, funeral hearses, funeral escort vehicles, | 550 |
|
and similar equipment operated by the department or local | 551 |
|
authorities, which shall be equipped with and display, when used | 552 |
|
on a street or highway for the special purpose necessitating such | 553 |
|
lights, a flashing, oscillating, or rotating amber light, but | 554 |
|
shall not display a flashing, oscillating, or rotating light of | 555 |
|
any other color, nor to vehicles or machinery permitted by section | 556 |
|
4513.11 of the Revised Code to have a flashing red light. | 557 |
| (D) Except a person operating a public safety vehicle, as | 565 |
|
defined in division (E) of section 4511.01 of the Revised Code, or | 566 |
|
a school bus, no person shall operate, move, or park upon, or | 567 |
|
permit to stand within the right-of-way of any public street or | 568 |
|
highway any vehicle or equipment that is equipped with and | 569 |
|
displaying a flashing red or a flashing combination red and white | 570 |
|
light, or an oscillating or rotating red light, or a combination | 571 |
|
red and white oscillating or rotating light; and except a public | 572 |
|
law enforcement officer, or other person sworn to enforce the | 573 |
|
criminal and traffic laws of the state, operating a public safety | 574 |
|
vehicle when on duty, no person shall operate, move, or park upon, | 575 |
|
or permit to stand within the right-of-way of any street or | 576 |
|
highway any vehicle or equipment that is equipped with, or upon | 577 |
|
which is mounted, and displaying a flashing blue or a flashing | 578 |
|
combination blue and white light, or an oscillating or rotating | 579 |
|
blue light, or a combination blue and white oscillating or | 580 |
|
rotating light. | 581 |