ARTICLE 3. TRAFFIC SIGNS, SIGNALS AND MARKINGS.

§17C-3-1. Adoption of manual and specifications for uniform system of traffic-control devices.

The state road commission shall adopt a manual and specifications for a uniform system of traffic-control devices consistent with the provisions of this chapter for use upon highways within this state. Such uniform system shall correlate with and so far as possible conform to the system then current as approved by the American association of state highway officials.

§17C-3-2. Placing and maintaining traffic-control devices and signs on state highways.

(a) The state road commission shall place and maintain such traffic-control devices, conforming to its manual and specifications, upon all state highways as it shall deem necessary to indicate and to carry out the provisions of this chapter or to regulate, warn, or guide traffic.

(b) No local authority shall place or maintain any traffic- control device upon any highway under the jurisdiction of the state road commission except by the latter's permission.

§17C-3-3. Local traffic-control devices.

Local authorities in their respective jurisdictions shall place and maintain such traffic-control devices upon highways under their jurisdiction as they may deem necessary to indicate and to carry out the provisions of this chapter or local traffic ordinances or to regulate, warn, or guide traffic. All such traffic-control devices hereafter erected shall conform to the state manual and specifications.

§17C-3-4. Obedience to traffic-control devices; official signs to be in proper position, etc; penalty.

(a) The driver of any vehicle and the operator of any streetcar shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device applicable thereto placed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, unless otherwise directed by a traffic or police officer, subject to the exceptions granted the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle in this chapter.

(b) Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $100; upon a second conviction within one year thereafter, shall be fined not more than $200; and upon a third or subsequent conviction, shall be fined not more than $500.

(c) No provision of this chapter for which signs are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator if at the time and place of the alleged violation an official sign is not in proper position and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person. Whenever a particular section does not state that signs are required, such section shall be effective even though no signs are erected or in place.

§17C-3-4a. Obedience to traffic-control instructions at site of street or highway construction or maintenance; penalty.

(a) The driver of any vehicle shall obey the traffic-control instructions of any law-enforcement officer or persons authorized by the commissioner of highways or by proper local authorities to operate traffic-control devices, act as flagmen or operate authorized vehicles engaged in work at or near the site of street or highway construction maintenance work, for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic, subject to the exceptions granted the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle in this chapter.

(b) Any person failing to comply with the requirements of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $100; upon a second conviction within one year thereafter, shall be fined not more than $200; and upon a third or subsequent conviction, shall be fined not more than $500.

§17C-3-4b. Traffic violations in construction zones; posting requirement; criminal penalty.

(a) Where street or highway construction work is being conducted, signs and other traffic control devices, as adopted in section one, article three, chapter seventeen-c of this code, shall be posted giving the location of the work and notifying all motorists as to the speed limit and any other traffic restrictions.

(b) Any person who exceeds any posted speed restriction or traffic restriction at a construction site referred to in subsection (a) of this section by less than fifteen miles per hour is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $200.

(c) Any person who exceeds any posted speed restriction or traffic restriction at a construction site referred to in subsection (a) of this section by fifteen miles per hour or more is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $200 or confined in a regional jail not more than twenty days, or both.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude prosecution of any operator of a motor vehicle who commits a violation of any other provision of this code for such violation.

§17C-3-5. Traffic-control signal legend.

Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals exhibiting the words "go,""caution" or "stop," or exhibiting different colored lights successively one at a time, or with arrows, the following colors only shall be used and said terms and lights shall indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as follows:

(a) Green alone or "go":

(1) Vehicular traffic facing the signal, except when prohibited under section two, article twelve of this chapter may proceed straight through or turn right or left unless a sign at such place prohibits either such turn. But vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time such signal is exhibited.

(2) Pedestrians facing the signal may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk.

(b) Yellow alone or "caution" when shown following the green or "go" signal:

(1) Vehicular traffic facing the signal is thereby warned that the red or "stop" signal will be exhibited immediately thereafter and such vehicular traffic shall not enter or be crossing the intersection when the red or "stop" signal is exhibited.

(2) Pedestrians facing such signal are thereby advised that there is insufficient time to cross the roadway, and any pedestrian then starting to cross shall yield the right-of- way to all vehicles.

(c) Red alone or "stop":

(1) Vehicular traffic facing the signal shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until green or "go" is shown alone except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subdivision (c).

(2) A vehicle which is stopped in obedience to a red or "stop" signal as close as practicable at the entrance to the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then at the entrance to the intersection, may cautiously make a right turn but such vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within a crosswalk and to other vehicular traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at said intersection, except that local authorities in their respective jurisdictions may by ordinance prohibit any such right turn against a red or "stop" signal at any intersection within such jurisdiction, which ordinance shall be effective when a sign is erected at such intersection giving notice thereof.

(3) A vehicle which is stopped in obedience to a red or "stop" signal as close as practicable at the entrance to the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then at the entrance to the intersection on a one-way street which intersects another one-way street on which traffic moves to the left, may cautiously make a left turn into said one-way street but such vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within a crosswalk and to other vehicular traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at said intersection, except that local authorities in their respective jurisdictions may by ordinance prohibit any such left turn against a red or "stop" signal at any intersection within such jurisdiction, which ordinance shall be effective when a sign is erected at such intersection giving notice thereof.

(4) No pedestrian facing such signal shall enter the roadway unless he can do so safely and without interfering with any vehicular traffic.

(d) Red with green arrow:

(1) Vehicular traffic facing such signal may cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by such arrow but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within a crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

(2) No pedestrian facing such signal shall enter the roadway unless he can do so safely and without interfering with any vehicular traffic.

(e) In the event an official traffic-control signal is erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection, the provisions of this section shall be applicable except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. Any stop required shall be made at a sign or marking on the pavement indicating where the stop shall be made, but in the absence of any such sign or marking the stop shall be made at the signal.

(f) The motorman of any streetcar shall obey the above signals as applicable to vehicles.

§17C-3-6. Pedestrian walk and wait signals; penalty.

(a) Whenever special pedestrian-control signals exhibiting the words "Walk" or "Wait" are in place such signals shall indicate as follows:

(1) Walk. -- Pedestrians facing such signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal and shall be given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles.

(2) Wait. -- No pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of such signal, but any pedestrian who has partially completed his or her crossing on the walk signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island while the wait signal is showing.

(b) Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $100; upon a second conviction within one year thereafter, shall be fined not more than $200; and upon a third or subsequent conviction, shall be fined not more than $500.

§17C-3-7. Flashing signals.

Whenever an illuminated flashing red or yellow signal is used in a traffic sign or signal it requires obedience by vehicular traffic as follows:

(1) Flashing red (stop signal). — When a red lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles shall stop before entering the nearest crosswalk at an intersection or at a limit line when marked, or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and the right to proceed is subject to the rules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign.

(2) Flashing yellow (caution signal). — When a yellow lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles may proceed through the intersection or past the signal only with caution.

(3) Local authorities, in areas that experience low traffic times, may permit flashing signals between the hours of eleven o’clock p.m. and six o’clock a.m.

§17C-3-8. Display of unauthorized devices, signs, etc.; such devices, etc., declared nuisance and subject to removal.

(a) No local authority or person shall place, maintain, or display upon or in view of any highway any unauthorized traffic- control device or traffic-control signal, or any unauthorized sign, signal, marking, or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic-control device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic, or which hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any official traffic-control device or any railroad sign or signal, and no person shall place or maintain nor shall any public authority permit upon any highway any traffic-control device bearing thereon any commercial advertising. This shall not be deemed to prohibit the erection upon private property adjacent to highway of signs giving useful directional information and of a type that cannot be mistaken for official signs.

(b) Every such prohibited device, signal, sign or marking is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and the state road commissioner or other authority having jurisdiction over the highway is hereby empowered to remove the same or cause it to be removed without notice.

§17C-3-9. Interference with official traffic-control devices or railroad signs or signals.

No person shall without lawful authority attempt to or in fact alter, deface, injure, knock down, or remove any official traffic-control device or any railroad sign or signal or any inscription, shield, or insignia thereon, or any other part thereof.

§17C-3-10. Interference with official traffic-control devices by infrared or electronic devices.

(a) The possession or use of a mobile infrared transmitter (MIRT), or any type of infrared or electronic device capable of changing a traffic control signal, by anyone other than the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle, is prohibited.

(b) Any person violating the provisions of subsection (a) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $500 or confined in the county or regional jail not more than three days, or both; and upon a second conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or confined in the county or regional jail not more than six days, or both; and upon a third or subsequent conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $500 nor more than $2,500 or confined in a county or regional jail one year, or both.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any person convicted of a violation of subsection (a) of this section which results in physical injury to another shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not less than one nor more than three years or fined not more than $5,000, or both.

(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any device which simply makes a vehicle visible or its presence known to a sensor which triggers the changing of a traffic light after the vehicle operator has complied with the traffic signal indication.