Title 27 — Transportation

(a) No person shall operate or move any crawler-type tractor, steam shovel, derrick, roller, or any equipment or structure having a normal operating speed of up to ten miles per hour (10 m.p.h.) or a vertical body or load clearance of less than one-half inch (½″) per foot of the …

(a) The State Highway Commission and local authorities, with the approval of the commission, are authorized to designate particularly dangerous state highway grade crossings of railroads and to erect stop signs there. (b) When stop signs are erected, the driver of any vehicle sha…

(a) The driver of a vehicle shall not overtake and pass upon the left nor drive upon the left side of any streetcar proceeding in the same direction, whether the streetcar is actually in motion or temporarily at rest, except:(1) When so directed by a police officer;(2) When upon …

The driver of a vehicle overtaking upon the right any streetcar stopped or about to stop for the purpose of receiving or discharging any passenger shall stop the vehicle at least five feet (5′) to the rear of the nearest running board or door of the streetcar and thereupon remain…

(a) The driver of any vehicle proceeding upon any streetcar track in front of a streetcar upon a street shall remove the vehicle from the track as soon as practical after signal from the operator of the streetcar. (b) When a streetcar has started to cross an intersection, no driv…

(a) (1) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle, when the driver is giving audible signal by siren, exhaust whistle, or bell, the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to and as close a…

The driver of any vehicle other than one on official business shall not follow any fire apparatus traveling in response to a fire alarm closer than five hundred feet (500′) or drive into or park the vehicle within the block where fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire ala…

No streetcar or vehicle shall be driven over any unprotected hose of a fire department when laid down on any street, private driveway, or streetcar track to be used at any fire or alarm of fire without the consent of the fire department official in command.

(a) As used in this section, “towing operation” means an activity on the highway or roadway that involves one (1) or more tow trucks at an accident scene or involves an inoperable vehicle. (b) The driver of a motor vehicle that is approaching a towing operation on a highway or ro…

(a) (1) All of the following shall be equipped with red rotating or flashing emergency lights:(A) Motor vehicles used by state, county, city, or municipal fire departments;(B) Motor vehicles owned and used by volunteer firefighters while engaged in official duties;(C) Motor vehic…

(a) An authorized emergency vehicle operated as a police vehicle is not required to operate the vehicle's siren or flashing lights when the emergency vehicle is responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator if the emergency vehicle is being…

(a) No person shall without lawful authority attempt to or in fact alter, deface, mutilate, injure, knock down, destroy, or remove any official highway traffic-control device, road marker, lighting equipment, or any railroad crossing sign or signal, or any inscription, shield, or…

(a) Any unauthorized person who willfully moves, covers, uncovers, alters, tampers with, defaces, or damages any sign, signal, or device erected in a construction area to control the flow of motor vehicle traffic or pedestrian traffic in, through, or around the construction area …

(1) The driver of a motor vehicle or operator of a streetcar shall obey the instructions of any official traffic control device placed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter unless he or she is:(1) Directed by a police officer; or(2) Yielding the right-of-way to a fune…

(a) The State Highway Commission shall adopt a manual and specifications for a uniform system of traffic control devices consistent with the provisions of this chapter for use upon highways within this state. (b) The uniform system shall correlate with and so far as possible conf…

(a) The State Highway Commission shall place and maintain traffic control devices conforming to its manual and specifications upon all state highways as it shall deem necessary to indicate and to carry out the provisions of this chapter or to regulate, warn, or guide traffic. (b)…

(a) (1) Local authorities in their respective jurisdictions shall place and maintain traffic control devices upon highways under their jurisdiction as they may deem necessary to indicate and to carry out the provisions of this chapter or local traffic ordinances or to regulate, w…

(a) Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals exhibiting the words “GO”, “CAUTION”, or “STOP”, or exhibiting different colored lights successively one (1) at a time or with arrows, the following colors only shall be used, and the terms and lights shall indicate an…

(1) Whenever flashing red or yellow signals are used, they shall require obedience by vehicular traffic as follows:(1) Flashing red, which is a stop signal, means when a red lens is illuminated by rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles shall stop before entering the near…

(a) (1) No person shall place, maintain, or display upon or in view of any highway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking, or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic control device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct …

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Automated enforcement device” means a system operated by a county government or a department of state government that is operating outside of a municipality that:(A) Uses a device that is capable of detecting a speeding violation; and(B) Photograp…

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Automated enforcement device” means a system operated by a municipality or a department of state government that is operating within the boundaries of the municipality that:(A) Uses a device that is capable of detecting a speeding violation; and(B…

(a) It is the purpose of this subchapter to make uniform the use of electrical traffic control signal devices in the State of Arkansas in order to promote the public safety and welfare. (b) All electrical traffic control signal devices used in the State of Arkansas on any public …

Any person violating the provisions of this subchapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(a) Any electrical traffic control signal device installed on any street, road, or highway in this state shall be in conformance with the standards recommended by the Institute of Transportation Engineers, approved as an American Standard by the American National Standards Instit…

Any persons, officers, or officials charged with the duty of placing, operating, or maintaining electrical traffic control signal devices on the public streets or highways of this state shall arrange the electrical traffic control signal devices to conform with the provisions of …

(a) Whenever traffic upon any public road, street, or highway in the State of Arkansas is controlled by electrical traffic control signal devices exhibiting more than one (1) signal lens and color per signal face according to the signal legend set out in § 27-52-107, then the num…

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a driver of a motorcycle approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic-control device, the driver may proceed through the intersection on a red light only if:(1) The traffic-control device uses a vehicle sensor;(2) T…

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Physical injury” means the:(A) Impairment of physical condition;(B) Infliction of substantial pain; or(C) Infliction of bruising, swelling, or a visible mark associated with physical trauma; and(2) “Serious physical injury” means physical injury t…

(a) (1) The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to a vehicle that is driven or attended by any person or to the personal property of another person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to the accident as poss…

(a) (1) The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or damage to any vehicle that is driven or attended by any person shall give his or her name, address, and the registration number of the vehicle he or she is driving.(2) Upon …

(a) The driver of a vehicle which collides with another vehicle that is unattended shall immediately stop and either locate and notify the operator or owner of the vehicle of the name and address of the driver and owner of the vehicle striking the unattended vehicle or shall leav…

(a) (1) (A) The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to fixtures or other property legally upon or adjacent to a highway shall take reasonable steps to locate and notify the owner or person in charge of the property of that fact and of his or her…

(a) Any person who fails or refuses to comply with § 27-53-202 or § 27-53-203 shall be punished upon a conviction in the county where the accident occurred by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000). (b) For willful refusal t…

(a) (1) The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or total property damage to an apparent extent of three thousand dollars ($3,000) or more shall notify the nearest law enforcement agency immediately.(2) All persons involved in …

(a) Whenever the driver of a vehicle is physically incapable of reporting an accident, as required by § 27-53-202(a), and there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident capable of making a report, the occupant shall make or cause to be made the report. (b) …

Every coroner, or other official performing like functions, on or before the tenth day of each month, shall report in writing to the Division of Arkansas State Police the death of any person within his or her jurisdiction during the preceding calendar month as the result of an ac…

(a) By ordinance, any incorporated city, town, village, or other municipality may require that the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident shall also file with a designated city department a report of the accident or a copy of any report required in this subchapter to be file…

(a) (1) The Division of Arkansas State Police shall prepare and upon request supply to police departments, coroners, sheriffs, and other suitable agencies or individuals forms for accident reports required under this subchapter.(2) (A) The reports shall call for sufficiently deta…

(a) The Division of Arkansas State Police shall tabulate and may analyze all accident reports and shall publish annually, or at more frequent intervals, statistical information based thereon as to the number and circumstances of traffic accidents. (b) After collecting the data re…

(a) (1) All required accident reports and supplemental reports shall be without prejudice to the individual so reporting and are for the use of the Division of Arkansas State Police.(2) (A) The division may disclose the identity of a person involved in an accident when the identi…

Except as provided under § 27-53-202(b)(2)(B), all motor vehicle accident reports made by the Division of Arkansas State Police and its records of traffic violations shall be open to public inspection at all reasonable times.

(a) Except as provided under § 27-53-202(b)(2)(B), photostatic or written copies of reports and records may be obtained from the Director of the Division of Arkansas State Police, or from his or her duly designated assistants, by any person who makes a written request for them to…

(a) (1) It is the duty of the Arkansas Department of Transportation to inspect the data collected and maintained relating to an accident as reported to the department by the Division of Arkansas State Police under § 27-53-207(b).(2) The inspections shall determine, within the jud…

The purpose of this subchapter is to promote the public welfare by the reduction of traffic accidents and deaths, injuries, and property damage resulting from accidents and to this end require that all traffic accidents be investigated and reported by qualified law enforcement of…

(1) As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Investigating officer” means any state, county, or municipal law enforcement official within his or her jurisdiction;(2) “Traffic accidents” means accidents occurring to persons, including pedestrians, mot…

(a) Within their jurisdictions, and cooperatively in overlapping jurisdictional situations such as the state highway extensions within municipal corporations, law enforcement officers of Arkansas are declared to be responsible for the investigation and reporting of all traffic ac…

All traffic accident investigation reports shall be made upon forms prescribed, approved, and supplied by the Division of Arkansas State Police, with the concurrence of the Arkansas Department of Transportation.

(a) Except as provided under § 27-53-202(b)(2)(B), all traffic accident investigating officers' reports are public records and open to public inspection at all reasonable times. (b) Photostatic or written copies of the reports may be obtained from the Division of Arkansas State P…

In instances where a motor vehicle leaves a road or highway and damages the fence or other attachment to real property, the investigating officer shall notify the landowner of the accident and damage.