Opinion ID: 1197854
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Trial Court Correctly Granted Summary Judgment for the District on the Allegations of Negligent Highway Maintenance or Design

Text: The Rifes' complaint alleges the District as well as the State of Idaho and City of American Falls have a duty regarding the highways and roads. The Rifes argue the District is required by virtue of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices to play a part in installing and monitoring traffic control devices relating to the students' route home. Similarly, the Rifes argue I.C. § 49-584 [1] (I.C. § 49-201(3)), imposes a statutory duty pertaining to traffic control on the District. The district court held that the responsibilities for road design, maintenance, signing, and speed limits are all under the jurisdiction of the Idaho Department of Transportation and other local authorities which have been empowered by our legislature to control the roadways. The district court was correct in determining that the school districts are under no duty with regard to the public roadways. I.C. § 49-584 [I.C. § 49-201(3)] imposed a duty upon the Board of Transportation to adopt a manual based upon a uniform system of traffic control devices. This statute clearly applied only to the Board of Transportation. I.C. § 49-586 [I.C. § 49-209] imposed a duty upon local authorities requiring all traffic control devices to be erected in conformance with the state manual adopted pursuant to I.C. § 49-584 [I.C. § 49-201(3)]. Although this section of the Idaho Code did not contain a definition of local authority at the time of the accident, the legislature amended the Act effective in January 1989 to include such a definition. The definition of local authority currently found in I.C. § 49-113(9) provides an indication of the legislature's intent in the use of that term in I.C. § 49-586 [I.C. § 49-209]. Local authority is now defined as every county, highway district, municipal and other Local board or body having authority to enact laws, resolutions, or ordinances relating to the traffic under the constitution and laws of this state. The District unquestionably does not fall within the definition of a local authority. See also Bingham v. Idaho Dep't of Trans., 117 Idaho 147, 786 P.2d 538 (1989). The Rifes also argue the School Crossing Protection Manual, which was generated by the Idaho Department of Transportation, imposed a duty on the District. However, the trial court correctly noted the District did not adopt this manual, and it therefore cannot be the basis for the imposition of a duty.