§ 31-12-12 - Powers of local authorities.
SECTION 31-12-12
§ 31-12-12 Powers of local authorities.– (a) The provisions of chapters 12 – 27 of this title shall not be deemedto prevent local authorities with respect to streets and highways under theirjurisdiction and within the reasonable exercise of the police power from:
(1) Regulating the standing or parking of vehicles;
(2) Regulating traffic by means of police officers or trafficcontrol signals;
(3) Regulating or prohibiting processions or assemblages onthe highways;
(4) Designating particular highways as one-way highways andrequiring that all vehicles on them be moved in one specific direction;
(5) Regulating the speed of vehicles in public parks;
(6) Designating any highway as a through highway andrequiring that all vehicles stop before entering or crossing the highway ordesignating any intersection as a stop intersection and requiring all vehiclesto stop at one or more entrances to the stop intersection;
(7) Restricting the use of highways as authorized in§§ 31-25-25 and 31-25-26;
(8) Regulating the operation of bicycles and requiring theregistration and licensing of bicycles, including the requirement of aregistration fee;
(9) Regulating or prohibiting the turning of vehicles orspecified types of vehicles at intersections;
(10) Altering the prima facie speed limits as authorized bythese chapters;
(11) Adopting any other traffic regulations that arespecifically authorized by chapters 12 – 27 of this title.
(b) The city council of the city of Woonsocket is authorizedand empowered to enact ordinances providing that the chief of police, or thepolice officers as he or she may from time to time designate, may impound, bymeans of a "Denver boot" or other immobilization device, or cause to beimpounded, through the agency of a person or persons in the employ of the cityof Woonsocket or the police department, or by independent contractor, anyvehicle parked or standing on any part of any way under the control of thecity, if in the calendar year in which the vehicle is so impounded and in thepreceding calendar year, the aggregate of five (5) or more notices of violationof any ordinances adopted for the regulation of parking of motor vehicleswhether adopted prior to or subsequent to the passage of this chapter), havebeen affixed to the vehicle. The ordinance shall provide for a post-impoundmenthearing which shall be held between the time of impoundment and not more thanseven (7) days afterwards, at which any defense may be asserted. The ordinancemay impose liability for the reasonable cost of the impoundment on the owner ofthe vehicle, and may provide that if a vehicle is so impounded, the vehicleshall be held until all fines and charges lawfully imposed for the impoundmenthave been paid. The police department shall promptly mail written notice to theregistered owner of the impounded vehicle, directed to the address furnished bythe division of motor vehicles of motor vehicles or comparable agency of thestate in which the vehicle is registered, stating the date on which the vehiclewas impounded, the location at which it was impounded, and a statement that itwill be released on the payment of all fines and charges lawfully imposed forthe impoundment If, after thirty (30) days of mailing of the notice to theregistered owner as provided for in this subsection, the owner has not paid allfines and charges imposed for the impounding, the vehicle so impounded shall bedeemed to have been abandoned and may be disposed of in accordance with§§ 31-22-14, 31-22-15, 31-22-17 and 31-22-18, first applying theproceeds to pay all fines and charges imposed for the impoundment. Vehiclesowned by the state or a political subdivision of it; by the United States orany instrumentality of it; or registered by a member of a foreign diplomaticcorps or by a foreign consular officer who is a citizen of the United Statesand bearing a distinctive number plate or otherwise conspicuously marked as soowned or registered; and vehicles and persons described in §§31-28-4, 31-28-6 and 31-28-7; shall not, however, be subject to impoundment.Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.