Chapter II CONTROL OF TRAFFIC

The State Government or any authority authorised in this behalf by the State Government, if it is satisfied that it is necessary in the interest of public safety or convenience, or because of the nature of any road or bridge, may, by notification, prohibit or restrict subject to such exceptions and conditions as may be specified in the notification, the driving of vehicles or animals either generally in a specified area or on a specified highway or part of a highway, and when such prohibition or restriction is imposed shall cause appropriate traffic signs to be placed or erected under section 4 at suitable places: Provided that where any prohibition or restriction under this section is to remain in force only for a period of one month or less, notification thereof in the official Gazette shall not be necessary.

(1) The State Government or any authority authorised in this behalf by the State Government may cause or permit traffic signs of any size, colour, type or description, to be placed or erected in any highway or public place for the purpose of bringing to public notice any prohibitions or restrictions imposed under section 3, or generally for the purpose of regulating traffic other than motor vehicle traffic. (2) Traffic signs erected under sub-section (1) for any purpose for which provision is made in the First Schedule shall have the meanings set forth in the First Schedule, but the authority empowered in this behalf by the State Government may make or authorise the addition to any sign set forth in the said Schedule of transcriptions of the words, letters or figures thereon in the Kannada script provided that the transcriptions shall be of similar size and colour to the words, letters or figures set forth in the First Schedule. (3) Except as provided by sub-section (1) no traffic sign shall, after the commencement of this Act, be placed or erected on or near any highway, but all traffic signs erected prior to the commencement of this Act by any authority competent to do so shall for the purposes of this Act be deemed to be traffic signs under the provisions of sub-section (1).

The State Government or any authority authorised in this behalf by the State Government may, by notification, or by the erection at suitable places of the appropriate traffic sign referred to in Part A of the First Schedule, designate certain roads as main roads for the purposes of the regulations contained in the Second Schedule.

(1) Every driver of a vehicle or animal shall drive it in conformity with any indication given by a mandatory traffic sign and in conformity with the driving regulations set forth in the Second Schedule and shall comply with all directions given to him by any police officer for the time being engaged in the regulation of traffic in any public place. (2) In this section “mandatory traffic sign” means a traffic sign included in Part A of the First Schedule or any traffic sign of similar form (that is to say consisting of or including a circular disc) displaying a device, word or figure and having a red ground or border or any prescribed sign painted or marked on the road or erected or displayed for the purpose of regulating traffic other than motor vehicle traffic under sub-section (1) of section 4.

The driver of a vehicle shall on the occasions specified in the Third Schedule make the signals specified therein.

No person in charge of a vehicle or animal shall cause or allow the vehicle or animal to remain at rest on any highway in such a position or in such a condition or in such circumstances as to cause or is likely to cause danger, obstruction or undue inconvenience to other users of the highway or public place.

No driver of a vehicle shall tow a person riding a cycle and no person riding a cycle shall allow himself to be towed by any other vehicle.

No person in charge of a vehicle or animal shall allow such vehicle or animal to stand or proceed on a highway or public place unless it is under adequate control.

(1) The driver of a vehicle or animal shall cause the vehicle or animal, as the case may be, to stop and to remain stationary so long as may be reasonably necessary,— (a) when required to do so by any police officer in uniform, or (b) when the vehicle or animal is involved in the occurrence of an accident to a person, animal or vehicle or of damage to any property, whether the driving or management of the vehicle or animal was or was not the cause of the accident or damage, and he shall give his name and address and the name and address of the owner of the vehicle or animal to any person affected by such accident or damage who demands it, provided such person also furnishes his name and address. (2) The driver of a vehicle or animal shall, on demand by a person giving his own name and address and alleging that the driver has committed an offence punishable under section 19, give his name and address to that person.

The owner of a vehicle or animal the driver of which is accused of any offence under this Act shall on demand by any police officer give all information regarding the name and address of the driver which is in his possession or could by reasonable diligence be ascertained by him.

When any person is injured, or damage to property to the amount of twenty-five rupees or more is caused as the result of an accident in which a vehicle is involved, the driver of the vehicle or other person in charge of the vehicle shall,— (a) take all reasonable steps to secure medical attention for any person so injured and, if necessary, convey him to the nearest hospital, unless the injured person, or his guardian, in case he is a minor, desires otherwise; (b) give on demand by a police officer any information required by him or, if no police officer or other authority is present, report the circumstances of the occurrence as soon as possible, and in any case within twenty-four hours of the occurrence, at the nearest police station, or, if he continues his journey after the accident, at the next police station.

(1) The State Government may after previous publication by notification make rules for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Chapter, and different rules may be made for different areas of the State. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for,— (a) the removal and the safe custody of the vehicles including their loads which have broken down or which have been left standing or have been abandoned on a highway; (b) the use of weighing devices; (c) the determination, maintenance and management of parking places for the use of vehicles and animals and the fees, if any, which may be charged for their use; (d) prohibiting the use of foot-paths or pavements by vehicles or animals; (e) subject to specified conditions the segregation to any specified part of a highway of specified classes and descriptions of vehicle or animal traffic; (f) prohibiting or restricting the use of audible signals at certain times or in certain places; (g) regulating the loading of vehicles and in particular limiting the loads carried in relation to the size and nature of the tyres fitted; (h) a right of way for ambulances and fire brigade vehicles; (i) prohibiting the use of devices designed to prevent the rotation of any wheel of a vehicle; (j) the control of animals likely to frighten other animals or pedestrians; (k) the control of children on highways; (l) prohibiting the riding by more than two persons at the same time on cycles other than cycles designed for the purpose; (m) prohibiting the riding of more than two cycles abreast; (n) limiting the age of drivers of vehicles; (o) the inspection of loads carried on vehicles and animals; (p) the use of nose-ropes for animals; (q) regulating the driving of vehicles and animals at night; (r) regulating the use of highways by pedestrians; (s) generally, the prevention of danger, injury or annoyance to the public or any person, or of danger or injury to property or of obstruction to traffic; (t) any other matter which is to be or may be prescribed. (3) The rules made under this section shall take effect on such date as may be specified in such rules and such date shall not be earlier than one month from the date of their publication of such rules in the official Gazette.