Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-05-24
The Law of the Road.

JOHN.
The Law of the Road.
Some OF the readers of the Democrat have ex-
pressed n desire to have published the laws OF
the state relating to the use OF the roats, with
which all who use the roads ought To be familiar.
Below IL given the principal part of the general
laws, emitting only some portions NOS OF In
terest In this pant of the state)
Section /. AS used in this chapter,
tho word way" includes all kinds Of
public ways. And the word "team" all
kinds of conveyauces on such ways for
persons and property.
Section 2. Wheu persons travelling
with team are approaching to meet on
a way, they shall seasonably turn TO the
right of the middle of the travelled part
of it so far that they can pass each other
without interference. When it is unsafe,
or difficult on account of weight OF load
to do so, person about TO be met or over |
taken if requested, shall stop reason |
able time, at q convenient place, to en-
able the other to pass.
Section 3. When a person with team |
is stationary, or travelling slowly on
way at a place unsafe or iDconvenient for |
passing him with team, he shall, If re- |
Quested, drive to the right or left, or
stop a reasonable time at a convenient |
place, to allow the other to pass.
Section 4. No person shall leave his
team stationary on way 50 as to OBJ |
struct the free passage of other teams; |
or allow his team to be on way without !
adriver.
Section 5 Three or more bells must !
be fastened to one of the foremost horses |,
drawing teams on snow without wheels. |
Section 6. Any person injured by vio-
laton of either Of the previous sections,
NAV recover damages in an action on the !
case, commenced within one year. Such !
violator forfeits no less than one, nor |
more than twenty dollars, to be recover !,
ed on com plant made within sixty days. |
Section Z No automobile or motor |
vehicle shall be driven or operated upon !
any highway, townway, public street, |
avenue, driveway, park or parkway, at a
greater rate of speed than fifteen miles |
an hour, or upon any highway, townway, |
public street, avenue, driveway, park or |
parkway, within the compact or built-up |,
portions of auy city, town or village, the |
limits of which shall be fixed by the
municipal officers thereof, at a greater |
rate of speed than eight miles an hour,
except where such city or town may by
ordinance or by law permit greater
rate of speed.
Section S. No person driving or in
charge of an automobile or motor vehicle
IN any highway, townway, public street.
avenue, driveway, park or parkway, shall
drive the same at any speed greater than
is reasonable and proper, having regard
To the traffic AMI use of the way by
others, CT so As to eudangor the life or
limb nt any person; AMI racing any such
vehicle on any such ways or parks is
hereby forbidden.
Sections Every person driving or
operating IN automobile or motor vehicle
shall at request and signal by putting up
the baud, or by other visible signal, from
"A person riding or driving horse or
horses or other domestic animals, cause
such vehicle 20 come to a stop as soon rs
possible aud to remain stationary as
long as may be necessary to allow such
animal or animals to pass.
Section 10. Every such automobile or
motor vehicle shall have attached
thereto suitable bell or other appliance,
for giving notice of its approach, which,
when rung or otherwise operated, may
be heard at distance of three hundred
feet; and shall also carry lighted lamp
between one hour after sunset and one
hour before sunrise.
Section H. Municipal officers of any
city or town may designate places on any
streets or ways therein, where, in their
Judgment, by reason of cliffs, embank-
ments or other exceptional natural con-
ditions, the meeting of automobiles or
motor vehicles and horses would be at
tended with unusual danger. Such
designation shall be made by causing the
words "automobiles-go slow" to be con-
spicuously displayed on sigu-boards at
the right hand side of each approach to
the place to be designated, and not more
than one hundred and fifty feet distant
therefrom; and an automobile or motor
vehicle, before meeting any horse be-
tween such limits, shall be brought to
standstill, and shall not proceed, unless
by request of the rider or driver of the
horse, until such horse shall have passed;
and no such vehicle shall pass any place
so designated at greater speed than
four miles an hour.
Section L. Whoever violates any pro-
Il
be punished by fine not exceeding fifty
dollars, or by Imprisonment not exceed
ing ten days.
Section Is. No team shall travel faster
than walk on bridge erected wholly
or partly by the state, or on any bridge
covered with plank and fifty feet long
composing part of way, or on any
bridge owned by a corporation, II board
with the words ''three dollars fine for
riding or driving on this bridge faster
than walk" legibly painted in black
letters on white ground, is kept expos
cd in some conspicuous place at each
end thereof.
Section IA. Whoever willfully violates
the preceding section, forfeits three dol
lars, to be recovered on complaint made
by any owner of said bridge, or by any
municipal officer of the town in which it
is located, to the owners of the bridge,
or to the town required to keep 1t in re-
pair; but no person passing after sunset
and before sunrise is 30 liable without
proof that he previously had knowledge
of such prohibition.
Section Is. If the driver of team
having passengers therein conveyed for
hire, leaves il without any person in
charge and without fastening it securely,
he may DO fined not exceeding thirty
dollars or imprisoned not exceeding one
month.
Section 10. Teams with wheels, II
drawn by more than two horses, oxen or
mules, must have the rims of their
wheels at least four inches wide, and If
drawn by more than four horses, oxen
or mules, at least five inches wide, when
travelling on 80 the road leading from
Newry Corner in the town of Newry, in
Oxford County, to the Grand Trunk
railway station in Bethel village in the
town Of Bethel, and when travelling on