Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
4.18 Traffic Ancillary Services
4.18.7 Hazardous Roadway Conditions (Issued: 6/25/07)
A. Hazardous highway and/or environmental conditions are defined as:
1. Defects in the roadway itself (holes, ruts, or dangerous shoulders)
2. Lack of, or defects in, highway safety features (e.g., center and roadside striping,
reflectors) or improper, damaged, destroyed or visually obstructed traffic control
and information signs
3. Lack of traffic control and information signs (e.g., curve and hill warnings, stop,
yield and speed limit signs, street and highway identification)
4. Lack of mechanical traffic control device or improperly located or malfunctioning
traffic control devices
5. Lack of roadway lighting systems/defective lighting systems
6. Natural or man -caused obstructions (e.g., fallen trees and rocks, litter, debris,
parts of vehicles, broken water mains, downed electrical wires)
7. Fire and its attendant smoke in areas adjacent to the highway
8. Vehicles parked or abandoned on or near the roadway.
B. The term “roadside hazard” will refer to all physical features of the roadside environment
that are such that a vehicle leaving the road surface for any reason, even momentarily,
can impact with them resulting in injury to people or damaged p roperty. Roadside
hazards included in the definition are:
1. Rigid, non -yielding supports for traffic control devices and lights or the non -
performance of safety installations (e.g., breakaway sign supports that fail to
function properly)
2. Improperly eng ineered guard rails
3. Unshielded bridge railings that may not retain an impacting vehicle and redirect it
parallel to the roadway as designed
4. Bridge abutments and other hazardous fixed objects built just off the roadway
5. Utility poles, trees, ditche s, steep banks, culverts, rock formations and other fixed
objects and features beside the road.
C. The following procedure will be followed in identifying, reporting and correcting
hazardous roadway, roadside or environmental conditions:
1. When a hazard is identified and, in the officer’s opinion, the hazard requires
immediate correction (such as a fallen tree or downed electrical wire), the officer
will immediately inform Dispatch of this situation and identify the assistance or
special equipment require d. The officer will protect the scene and bystanders,
direct traffic and take any other action deemed necessary to correct the situation.
2. When a hazard is detected that represents a potential crash situation but the threat
of such is not imminent (as in the case of a discarded muffler), the officer will
inform Dispatch, which will notify Public Works or other proper authority to have
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
the hazard corrected. If the officer can correct the situation, he/she will take
appropriate action.