Title 31, Motor Vehicles

Applicability of provisions to drivers of public vehicles. (a) The provisions of this act applicable to the drivers of vehicles upon the highways shall apply to the drivers of all vehicles owned and operated by the United States, this state, or any county, city, town, special dis…

Authorized emergency vehicles. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when responding to but not upon returni…

Persons riding animals or driving animal-drawn vehicles. Every person riding an animal or driving any animal-drawn vehicle upon a roadway is granted all the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this act except those provisions of thi…

Local regulations. The provisions of this act shall be applicable and uniform throughout this state and in all political subdivisions and municipalities therein. Local authorities may, however, adopt by ordinance, traffic regulations for all streets within their city limits and h…

General powers of local authorities. (a) This act does not prevent local authorities with respect to streets and highways under their jurisdiction and within the reasonable exercise of the police power from: (i) Regulating or prohibiting stopping, standing or parking; (ii) Regula…

Limitations upon powers of local authorities; exceptions as to municipal authorities. (a) Except as otherwise provided, local authorities shall not require any person to pay any fee or license for the use or exclude any person from the free use of the public highways or in any ot…

Right of real property owners to prohibit or regulate public vehicular use; handicapped parking. (a) Nothing in this act prevents the owner of real property used by the public for purposes of vehicular travel by permission of the owner, and not as matter of right, from prohibitin…

Adoption of uniform system of traffic-control devices. The department shall adopt a manual and specifications for a uniform system of traffic-control devices consistent with this act for use upon highways within this state. The uniform system shall correlate with and so far as po…

Placement and maintenance of traffic-control devices by department. (a) The department shall place and maintain such traffic-control devices, conforming to the department's manual and specifications, upon all state highways as it deems necessary to indicate and to carry out this …

Operation of motorcycles, autocycles and pedestrian vehicles. (a) A person operating a motorcycle shall ride only upon or astride the seat designed to be used by the driver, including a seat that incorporates a wheelchair or other assistive device, and shall not carry any other p…

Obstruction to driver's view or driving mechanism. (a) No person shall drive a vehicle when it is loaded, or when there are in the front seat enough people, exceeding three (3), to obstruct the view of the driver to the front or sides of the vehicle or to interfere with the drive…

Dropping or throwing material on highway; removal of injurious material. (a) Except in the process of highway construction or repair, any person who drops, or permits to be dropped or thrown, upon a highway any material shall immediately remove the material or cause it to be remo…

Regulations relative to school buses. (a) The state superintendent of public instruction shall adopt and enforce regulations not inconsistent with this act to govern the design and operation of all school buses used for the transportation of school children when owned and operate…

Clinging to vehicles. (a) No person riding upon any bicycle, electric bicycle, coaster, roller skates, sled or toy vehicle shall attach it or himself to any vehicle upon a roadway. (b) This section does not prohibit attaching a bicycle trailer or bicycle semitrailer to a bicycle …

Driving upon sidewalk. No person shall drive any vehicle except motorized wheelchairs other than by human power upon a sidewalk or sidewalk area except upon a permanent or duly authorized temporary driveway.

Opening and closing vehicle doors. No person shall open any door on a motor vehicle 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 a side of a vehicle available to m…

Riding in house trailers. No person shall occupy a house trailer while it is being towed upon a public highway.

Funeral processions; right-of-way; limitations. (a) A funeral procession led by a funeral car or escorted by a police vehicle and displaying flashing lights authorized under W.S. 31-5-928 has the right-of-way in the lane or portion of the roadway upon which it is traveling subjec…

Off-road recreational vehicles; multipurpose vehicles; limitation on use; equipment. (a) No person shall operate an off-road recreational vehicle as defined in W.S. 31-1-101(a)(xv)(K) upon public streets or highways except: (i) For incidental operation of vehicles specified in W.…

Driving on right side of roadway; exceptions. (a) Upon all roadways of sufficient width a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway, except for any of the following: (i) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules …

Passing of vehicle approaching from opposite direction. Drivers of vehicles proceeding in opposite directions shall pass each other to the right and upon roadways having width for not more than one (1) line of traffic in each direction each driver shall give to the other at least…

Rules governing overtaking on the left. (a) The following rules shall govern the overtaking and passing of vehicles proceeding in the same direction, subject to those limitations, exceptions and special rules hereinafter stated and those contained in subsection (c) of this sectio…

General limitations on overtaking on the left. No vehicle shall be driven to the left side of the center of the roadway in overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction unless the left side is clearly visible and is free of oncoming traffic for a suffici…

Additional limitations on driving on the left; exceptions. (a) No vehicle shall be driven on the left side of the roadway under the following conditions: (i) When approaching or upon the crest of a grade or a curve in the highway where the driver's view is obstructed within such …

Overtaking on the right. (a) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions: (i) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn; (ii) Upon a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient wi…

No-passing zones. (a) The superintendent and local authorities may determine those portions of any highway under their respective jurisdictions where overtaking and passing or driving on the left of the roadway would be especially hazardous and may by appropriate signs or marking…

One-way roadways and rotary traffic islands. (a) The superintendent and local authorities with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions may designate any highway, roadway, part of a roadway or specific lanes upon which vehicular traffic shall proceed in one (1) di…

Driving on roadways laned for traffic. (a) Whenever any roadway has been divided into two (2) or more clearly marked lanes for traffic the following rules in addition to all others consistent herewith shall apply: (i) A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely wi…

Following too closely. (a) The driver of a vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of the vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway. (b) The driver of any vehicle when traveling upo…

Driving on divided highways. Whenever any highway has been divided into two (2) or more roadways by leaving an intervening space or by a physical barrier or clearly indicated dividing section so constructed as to impede vehicular traffic, every vehicle shall be driven only upon t…

Driving onto or from controlled-access highways. No person shall drive a vehicle onto or from any controlled-access highway except at such entrances and exits as are established by public authority.

Restrictions on use of controlled-access highways. (a) The department may by rule or regulation, and local authorities may by ordinance, with respect to any controlled-access highway under their respective jurisdictions prohibit or regulate the use of the highway by any class or …

Required position and method of turning at intersections. (a) The driver of a vehicle intending to turn shall do so as follows: (i) Right turns: 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…

Limitations on turning around. (a) The driver of a vehicle shall not turn the vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction unless the movement can be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic. (b) No vehicle shall be turned so as to proceed in the opposite d…

Starting parked vehicle. No person shall start a vehicle which is stopped, standing or parked unless and until the movement can be made with reasonable safety.

Turning movements and required signals. (a) No person shall turn a vehicle or move right or left upon a roadway unless and until the movement can be made with reasonable safety nor without giving an appropriate signal in the manner provided by this section. (b) A signal of intent…

Signals by hand and arm or signal lamps. (a) Any stop or turn signal when required under this act shall be given either by means of the hand and arm or by signal lamps, except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section. (b) Any motor vehicle in use on a highway shall…

Manner of giving hand and arm signals. (a) All signals required under this act given by hand and arm shall be given from the left side of the vehicle in the following manner and the signals shall indicate as follows: (i) Left turn: Hand and arm extended horizontally; (ii) Right t…

Approaching or entering intersection. (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 two (2) vehicles enter an intersection from different highways at approxim…

Turning left at intersection. The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which is within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard.

Stop signs and yield signs. (a) Preferential right-of-way may be indicated by stop signs or yield signs as authorized in W.S. 31-5-503. (b) Except when directed to proceed by a police officer, every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop sign shall stop at a clearly marked stop l…

Entering or crossing roadway. The driver of a vehicle about to enter or cross a roadway from any place other than another roadway shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on the roadway to be entered or crossed.

Operation of vehicles upon approach of authorized emergency vehicles and other parked or slow-moving vehicles. (a) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle making use of audible or visual signals meeting the requirements of W.S. 31-5-928 and 31-5-952, the dr…

Fleeing or attempting to elude police officers; penalty. (a) Any driver of a motor vehicle who willfully fails or refuses to bring his vehicle to a stop, or who otherwise flees or attempts to elude a pursuing police vehicle, when given visual or audible signal to bring the vehicl…

Limitations on backing. (a) The driver of a vehicle shall not back the vehicle unless the movement can be made with safety and without interfering with other traffic. (b) The driver of a vehicle shall not back the vehicle upon any shoulder or roadway of any controlled-access high…

Driving through defiles or canyons or on mountain highways. The driver of a motor vehicle traveling through defiles or canyons or on mountain highways shall hold the motor vehicle under control and as near the right-hand edge of the highway as reasonably possible and, except when…