Opinion ID: 2196733
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: half of the road

Text: There are no lane markings or center line painted on Tomar Road. Perhaps because of the unbanked curve in Tomar Road at the bottom of the two steep grades, traffic has tended to negotiate the curve as close to the south curb as possible. In practice, the eastbound lane nearly touches the south curb and the westbound lane is to the south of the geometric center of the street. A darker area (where cars have not driven as much) appears to separate the east and west bound lanes with the result that the perceived center of the road is different from the geometric [11] center. Grevlos requested [12] an instruction [13] based on SDCL 32-26-3 which provides that drivers going in opposite directions shall pass each other to the right and give each other one half of the main-traveled portion of the road. The court originally had the same instruction in its set as Instruction Number 22 together with Instruction Number 18 [14] which contained the following: You are further instructed that another ordinance of the City of Sioux Falls states that upon all streets except one-way streets, the operator of a vehicle shall drive the same upon the right half of the street. This ordinance sets the standard of care of the ordinarily careful and prudent person. If you find that either plaintiff or defendant violated this ordinance, such violation is negligence. The Sioux Falls city ordinance is similar [15] to SDCL 32-26-1 [16] which provides that a driver shall drive on the right half of all highways except one-way streets. Arguably, there is a difference between driving on the right half of the street and giving one half of the main traveled portion of the street. The evidence was in conflict on where the collision occurred. Both sides presented evidence that the perceived center of the road was different from the geometric center. Grevlos was on the wrong side of the geometric center of the road but was close to the perceived center.