Title 22, Highways and Motor Vehicles

Upon all highways of sufficient width, a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the highway, except as follows: (1) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing such movement; (2) when an obstruction exists making …

Drivers of vehicles proceeding in opposite directions shall pass each other to the right, and each driver shall give to the other at least one-half of the main traveled portion of the roadway whenever possible. History: 1972, PL 12-65 § 1.

The following rules shall govern when a vehicle overtakes and passes, on the left, a vehicle proceeding in the same direction: (a) The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall not pass the overtaking vehicle on the right. (b) The drive…

The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass on the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions: (1) when the vehicle overtaken is making or is about to make a left turn; (2) upon a street or highway with unobstructed pavement not occupied by parked vehicles; (3…

The Commissioner is directed to determine those portions of the highway where overtaking and passing on, or driving to, the left would be especially hazardous and to prohibit the same through the use of official traffic-control devices. History: 1972, PL 12-65 § 1.

(a) The driver of a motor vehicle may not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicle and the traffic upon and condition of the roadway. (b) The fact that a vehicle operated by a person has struck the rear po…

(a) The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle which has entered the intersection from a different highway. (b) When 2 vehicles enter an intersection from different highways at the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left…

(a) Preferential right-of-way at an intersection may be indicated by stop signs or yield signs. (b) Except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic-control signal, every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop intersection indicated by a stop sign shall stop at a cl…

A driver intending to turn left within an intersection or into an alley, private road or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction and within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard. History: 197…

The driver of any vehicle shall slow down at the entrance to a through highway and yield the right-of-way to other vehicles which have entered the intersection from the through highway or which are approaching so closely on the through highway as to constitute an immediate hazard…

The driver of a vehicle intending to turn at an intersection shall proceed as follows: (a) Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. (b) A driver turning left at any intersection shall …

(a) No person may turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a roadway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety and then only after giving an appropriate signal in the manner provided in this section in the event any other vehicle may …

No person may move a vehicle which is stopped, standing or parked unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety. History: 1972, PL 12-65 § 1.

The driver of a vehicle emerging from an alley, building, private road or driveway within a business or residential district shall stop such vehicle immediately prior to driving onto a sidewalk or onto the sidewalk area extending across such alley, building entrance, road or driv…

The driver of a vehicle, upon meeting or overtaking from either direction a school bus which has stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging school children, shall stop the vehicle before reaching the school bus when there is in operation on the school bus a visual signal…

(a) No motor vehicle may be stopped at any place where it is likely to obstruct traffic or create or constitute a dangerous condition to traffic on the road. Parking, standing, and loading or discharging of passengers or freight in such areas, or in “No Parking” zones, is express…

(a) No person may stop or park any vehicle, or leave it standing, in front of a fire station or within 15 feet of a fire hydrant except when such vehicle is attended by a licensed operator or chauffeur who is seated in the front seat and who can immediately move such vehicle in c…

(a) Whenever any police officer finds a vehicle standing upon a highway in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, such officer may move such vehicle, or require the driver or other person in charge of the vehicle to move it, to a position off the paved or main-travel…

(a) No person may operate a motor vehicle on any highway in American Samoa at a rate of speed in excess of 30 miles an hour except as otherwise provided in this title. (b) The Commissioner shall determine, upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation, such other max…

The driver of a vehicle may not back the same unless such movement can be made with safety and without interfering with other traffic. History: 1972, PL 12-65 § 1.

No person may drive any vehicle upon a sidewalk or sidewalk area except upon a permanent, or duly authorized temporary, driveway. History: 1972, PL 12-65 § 1.

(a) No person may drive a vehicle when it is so loaded, or when there are in the front seat such number of persons, exceeding 3, as to obstruct the view of the driver to the front or sides of the vehicle or as to interfere with the driver’s control over the driving mechanism of t…

No person may open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle availabl…

(a) The driver of any motor vehicle, when traveling on a down grade, may not coast with the gears or transmission of such vehicle in neutral. (b) The driver of a truck or bus, when traveling on a down grade, may not coast with the clutch disengaged. History: 1972, PL 12-65 § 1.

No vehicle may be driven over an unprotected fire department hose laid down on any street, private road or driveway to be used at any fire or alarm of fire, without the consent of the fire department official in command. History: 1972, PL 12-65 § 1.

(a) No person may throw, deposit, or place upon any right-of-way road, street or highway, or cause to be thrown, deposited or placed, any glass, glass bottle, container, wire, nails, tacks, can, garbage, trash, refuse, rubbish, or any other object whether or not likely to injure …

No vehicle may be driven or moved on any highway: (1) Unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any of its load from dropping, shifting, leaking or otherwise escaping therefrom; (2) When any load thereon is not entirely within the body of the vehicle. This pro…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person operation a motor vehicle on a public highway in the Territory shall transport a child under four years of age except under the following circumstances: (1) if the child is under three years of age, the person operating …

(a) Except as otherwise provided by law, no person: (1) shall operate a motor vehicle upon any public highway unless the person is restrained by a seat belt assembly and any passengers in the front seat of the motor vehicle are restrained by a seat belt assembly if between the ag…

No truck or pickup truck may be driven or moved on any highway having as a passenger a minor child of less than twelve (12) years of age in the bed or back of the vehicle, unless the said child is accompanied at all times by an adult of at least eighteen (18) years of age. Histor…

(a) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle shall be exempt from the requirements of 22.0301 et seq., whenever such vehicle is driven in response to an emergency call, used in immediate pursuit of a suspected violator of the law, or is on other errands of great urgency. (b)…

Authorized emergency vehicles may not utilize any emergency warning equipment except when responding to an emergency. The pursuit of actual or suspected violators of the law by police shall be considered an emergency. When responding to an emergency, the driver of an emergency ve…

(a) When an emergency vehicle using warning equipment is proceeding on an emergency call, all traffic shall immediately pull to the right side of the road if possible, clear intersections, and stop until all emergency vehicles have passed. (b) No motor vehicle, except an authoriz…

The government and private companies or individuals who engage in performing construction work on or near the highways are required to install or place red warning lights at the job site between dusk and dawn. History: 1998, PL 25-18.

(a) It is unlawful and, unless otherwise declared in this chapter with respect to particular offenses, an infraction for any person to do any act forbidden by, or fail to perform any act required by, this chapter. (b) In a case involving a violation of a section of this chapter, …