New York State Law

Vehicle and Traffic Law

Consolidated Laws of New York's VTL code

Article 23 - NY Vehicle and Traffic Law

OBEDIENCE TO AND EFFECT OF TRAFFIC LAWS

Section Description
1100 Provisions of title refer to vehicles upon highways; execptions.
1101 Required obedience to traffic laws.
1102 Obedience to police officers and flagpersons.
1103 Public officers and employees to obey title; exceptions.
1104 Authorized emergency vehicles.
1105 Traffic laws apply to persons riding animals or driving animal-drawn vehicles.
S 1100. Provisions of title refer to vehicles upon highways;
exceptions. (a) The provisions of this title apply upon public highways,
private roads open to public motor vehicle traffic and any other parking
lot, except where a different place is specifically referred to in a
given section.
  (b) The provisions of this title relating to obedience to stop signs,
flashing signals, yield signs, traffic-control signals and other
traffic-control devices, and to one-way, stopping, standing, parking and
turning regulations shall apply to a parking lot only when the
legislative body of any city, village or town has adopted a local law,
ordinance, rule or regulation ordering such signs, signals, devices, or
regulations.
  (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (b) of this section,
the provisions of subparagraph e of paragraph two of subdivision (a) of
section twelve hundred two and section twelve hundred three-c of this
chapter shall also apply to any area which has been designated as a
place for parking for handicapped persons pursuant to such section.
  (d) The provisions of this title shall apply upon roadways, streets,
and highways located within the boundaries of any federal military
installations over which the federal government has proprietary
jurisdiction if written request therefor is made by the commanding
officer of such installation of the chief executive officer or officers
of the political subdivision or subdivisions in which such installation
is located and if the commanding officer of such installation shall post
at the gates of such installation a notice informing all motorists
entering such installation of such enforcement.

S 1101. Required obedience to traffic laws. It is unlawful and, unless
otherwise declared in this title with respect to particular offenses, it
is a traffic infraction for any person to do any act forbidden or fail
to perform any act required in this title.

S 1102. Obedience to police officers and flagpersons. No person shall
fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of any
police officer or flagperson or other person duly empowered to regulate
traffic.

S 1103. Public officers and employees to obey title; exceptions. (a)
The provisions of this title applicable to the drivers of vehicles upon
the highways shall apply to drivers of all vehicles owned or operated by
the United States, this state, or any county, city, town, district, or
any other political subdivision of the state, except as provided in this
section and subject to such specific exceptions as are set forth in this
title with reference to authorized emergency vehicles.
  (b) Unless specifically made applicable, the provisions of this title,
except the provisions of sections eleven hundred ninety-two through
eleven hundred ninety-six of this chapter, shall not apply to persons,
teams, motor vehicles, and other equipment while actually engaged in
work on a highway nor shall the provisions of subsection (a) of section
twelve hundred two apply to hazard vehicles while actually engaged in
hazardous operation on or adjacent to a highway but shall apply to such
persons and vehicles when traveling to or from such hazardous operation.
The foregoing provisions of this subdivision shall not relieve any
person, or team or any operator of a motor vehicle or other equipment
while actually engaged in work on a highway from the duty to proceed at
all times during all phases of such work with due regard for the safety
of all persons nor shall the foregoing provisions protect such persons
or teams or such operators of motor vehicles or other equipment from the
consequences of their reckless disregard for the safety of others.

S 1104. Authorized emergency vehicles. (a) The driver of an authorized
  emergency vehicle, when involved in an emergency operation, may exercise
  the  privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions
  herein stated.
    (b) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may:
    1. Stop, stand or park irrespective of the provisions of this title;
    2. Proceed past a steady red signal, a flashing red signal or  a  stop
  sign,  but  only  after  slowing  down  as  may  be  necessary  for safe
  operation;
    3. Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as  he  does  not  endanger
  life or property;
    4.  Disregard  regulations governing directions of movement or turning
  in specified directions.
    (c) Except for an authorized emergency vehicle operated  as  a  police
  vehicle  or  bicycle,  the  exemptions  herein  granted to an authorized
  emergency vehicle shall apply only when audible signals are sounded from
  any said vehicle while in motion by bell, horn, siren, electronic device
  or exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary, and when the  vehicle
  is  equipped  with at least one lighted lamp so that from any direction,
  under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet
  from such vehicle, at least one red light will be displayed and visible.
    (d) An authorized emergency vehicle operated as a police,  sheriff  or
  deputy  sheriff  vehicle  may  exceed  the  maximum speed limits for the
  purpose of calibrating such vehicles' speedometer.  Notwithstanding  any
  other  law,  rule  or  regulation  to the contrary, a police, sheriff or
  deputy sheriff bicycle operated as an authorized emergency vehicle shall
  not be prohibited from using any sidewalk, highway,  street  or  roadway
  during an emergency operation.
    (e)  The  foregoing  provisions  shall  not  relieve  the driver of an
  authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard  for
  the  safety of all persons, nor shall such provisions protect the driver
  from the consequences of  his  reckless  disregard  for  the  safety  of
  others.
    (f) Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary,
  an  ambulance  operated  in  the  course  of  an  emergency shall not be
  prohibited from using any highway, street or roadway; provided, however,
  that an authority having jurisdiction over any such highway,  street  or
  roadway  may  specifically prohibit travel thereon by ambulances if such
  authority shall deem such travel to be  extremely  hazardous  and  would
  endanger patients being transported thereby.

S 1105. Traffic laws apply to persons riding animals or driving
animal-drawn vehicles. Every person riding an animal or driving an
animal-drawn vehicle upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights
and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a
vehicle by this title, except those provisions of this title which by
their very nature can have no application.

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Vehicle and Traffic Law - Table of Contents

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