New York Vehicle & Traffic Law Article 1 - Words and phrases defined.

• 100 - Definition of Words and Phrases.
  The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in...
• 100-a - Access Highway.
  Any highway providing access between a qualifying highway, as defined in section one hundred thirty-four-a of this article, and terminals, facilities for food, fuel, repairs,...
• 100-b - Ambulance.
  Every motor vehicle designed, appropriately equipped and used for the purpose of carrying sick or injured persons by a person or entity registered or certified...
• 100-c - Articulated Bus.
  A two unit bus with a flexible coupling connection between the units.
• 100-d - Agricultural Equipment.
  Every agricultural tractor, self-propelled implement of husbandry, and towed, mounted or semi-mounted implement of husbandry. "Implement of husbandry" shall mean a vehicle designed or adapted...
• 101 - Authorized Emergency Vehicle.
  Every ambulance, police vehicle or bicycle, correction vehicle, fire vehicle, civil defense emergency vehicle, emergency ambulance service vehicle, blood delivery vehicle, county emergency medical services...
• 101-a - Automobile Transporter.
  Any vehicle combination designed and used specifically for the transport of assembled (capable of being driven) motor vehicles.
• 101-b - Boat Transporter.
  Any vehicle combination designed and used specifically for the transport of boats.
• 101-c - B-Train Assembly.
  A rigid frame extension attached to the rear frame of the first semitrailer, in a tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination of vehicles, which allows for a fifth wheel...
• 102 - Bicycle.
  Every two or three wheeled device upon which a person or persons may ride, propelled by human power through a belt, a chain or gears,...
• 102-a - Bicycle Lane.
  A portion of the roadway which has been designated by striping, signing and pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use of bicycles.
• 102-b - Bicycle Path.
  A path physically separated from motorized vehicle traffic by an open space or barrier and either within the highway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way...
• 103 - Bureau.
  The department of motor vehicles of this state acting directly or through its duly authorized officers and agents.
• 104 - Bus.
  Every motor vehicle having a seating capacity of fifteen or more passengers in addition to the driver and used for the transportation of persons.
• 105 - Business District.
  The territory contiguous to and including a highway when within any six hundred feet along such highway there are buildings in use for business or...
• 105-a - Car Carrier.
  A truck that is designed to carry one to three motor vehicles on a flat platform that slides or tilts to the ground to facilitate...
• 105-b - Certificate of Registration.
  Any document or other indicia of registration, other than number plates or tags required to be affixed to such number plates or to the vehicle...
• 106 - Circulatory Roadway.
  The roadway within a circular intersection on which traffic travels in a counterclockwise direction around a central island.
• 106-a - Civil Defense Emergency Vehicle.
  Every communications vehicle and rescue vehicle owned by the state, a county, town, city or village and operated for civil defense purposes and equipped and...
• 107 - Classes of Cities.
  (a) City of the first class. A city with a population of one hundred seventy-five thousand or more. (b) City of the second class. A...
• 107-b - Commercial Towing.
  The moving or removing of disabled, illegally parked, or abandoned motor vehicles or motor vehicles involved in accidents, by another motor vehicle, for which there...
• 108 - Commissioner.
  The commissioner of motor vehicles of this state.
• 109 - Controlled-Access Highway.
  Every highway, street, or roadway in respect to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right of access to...
• 109-a - Correction Vehicle.
  Every vehicle operated in the city of New York by the New York city department of correction or the New York state department of corrections...
• 109-b - County Emergency Medical Services Vehicle.
  Every vehicle operated by a county emergency medical services coordinator or deputy county emergency medical services coordinator appointed pursuant to the provisions of section two...
• 109-c - Conviction.
  Any conviction as defined in subdivision thirteen of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law; provided, however, where a conviction or administrative finding in this...
• 110 - Crosswalk.
  (a) That part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the...
• 111 - Curb.
  A vertical or sloping member along the edge of a roadway clearly defining the pavement edge.
• 112 - Department.
  The department of motor vehicles of this state acting directly or through its duly authorized officers and agents.
• 112-a - Department of Transportation.
  The department of transportation of this state acting directly or through its duly authorized officers and agents.
• 113 - Driver.
  Every person who operates or drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. Whenever the terms "chauffeur" or "operator" or "chauffeur's license" or...
• 114 - Driveway.
  Every entrance or exit used by vehicular traffic to or from lands or buildings abutting a highway.
• 114-a - Drug.
  The term "drug" when used in this chapter, means and includes any substance listed in section thirty-three hundred six of the public health law.
• 114-b - Emergency Operation.
  The operation, or parking, of an authorized emergency vehicle, when such vehicle is engaged in transporting a sick or injured person, transporting prisoners, delivering blood...
• 114-c - Escort Vehicle.
  A motor vehicle which operates under its own power and which precedes or follows a vehicle or combination of vehicles that has been issued a...
• 114-d - Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Device.
  Every self-balancing, two non-tandem wheeled device designed to transport one person by means of an electric propulsion system with an average output of not more...
• 115 - Explosives.
  Any chemical compound or mechanical mixture that is commonly used or intended for the purpose of producing an explosion and which contains any oxidizing and...
• 115-a - Fire Vehicle.
  Every vehicle operated for fire service purposes owned and identified as being owned by the state, a public authority, a county, town, city, village or...
• 115-b - Flagperson.
  The term "flagperson," when used in this chapter means and includes: 1. Any person employed by or on behalf of the state, a county, city,...
• 115-c - Emergency Ambulance Service Vehicle.
  An emergency ambulance service vehicle shall be defined as an appropriately equipped motor vehicle owned or operated by an ambulance service as defined in section...
• 115-d - Environmental Emergency Response Vehicle.
  Every designated vehicle operated by an agency of the state or a political subdivision thereof, charged with the responsibility for environmental protection, while engaged in...
• 116 - Flammable Liquid.
  Any liquid which has a flash point of eighty degrees Fahrenheit, or less, as determined by a tagliabue or equivalent open-cup test device.
• 117 - Gross Weight.
  The weight of a vehicle without load plus the weight of any load thereon.
• 117-a - Hazard Vehicle.
  Every vehicle owned and operated or leased by a utility, whether public or private, used in the construction, maintenance and repair of its facilities, every...
• 117-b - Hazardous Operation.
  The operation, or parking, of a vehicle on or immediately adjacent to a public highway while such vehicle is actually engaged in an operation which...
• 117-c - Hazardous Materials Emergency Vehicle.
  Every designated vehicle operated by a hazardous materials emergency response team created pursuant to section two hundred nine-y of the general municipal law specifically equipped...
• 117-d - Blood Delivery Vehicle.
  Every vehicle owned, designated and operated by the not-for-profit corporation incorporated under the name New York blood center specifically equipped for and used in response...
• 118 - Highway.
  The entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for...
• 119 - House Coach.
  Any vehicle motivated by a power connected therewith or propelled by a power within itself, which is or can be used as the home or...
• 119-a - Ignition Interlock Device.
  * Any blood alcohol concentration equivalence measuring device which connects to a motor vehicle ignition system and prevents a motor vehicle from being started without...
• 119-b - Inflatable Restraint System.
  1. An inflatable restraint system means an air bag, as defined in subparagraph (b) of S 4.1.5.1 of standard 208 of part 571 of title...
• 120 - Intersection.
  (a) The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways...
• 121 - Laned Roadway.
  A roadway which is divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for vehicular traffic.
• 121-a - Limited Use Automobile.
  A limited use vehicle which, except for the provisions of article forty-eight-A and section four hundred-a of this chapter, would be subject to registration pursuant...
• 121-b - Limited Use Motorcycle.
  A limited use vehicle having only two or three wheels, with a seat or saddle for the operator. A limited use motorcycle having a maximum...
• 121-c - Limited Use Vehicle.
  A motor vehicle, other than one registered or capable of being registered pursuant to sections four hundred one or four hundred ten of this chapter,...
• 121-d - Leased Vehicle.
  A vehicle owned by a person engaged in the business of renting or leasing vehicles which is rented or leased without a driver to a...
• 121-e - Livery.
  Every motor vehicle, other than a taxicab or a bus, used in the business of transporting passengers for compensation. However, it shall not include vehicles...
• 121-f - Low Speed Vehicle.
  A limited use automobile which has a maximum performance speed of greater than twenty miles an hour, but not greater than twenty-five miles an hour...
• 122 - Local Authorities.
  Every county, municipal or other local board, body or officer, county park commission, parkway authority, bridge authority, bridge and tunnel authority, the office of parks...
• 122-a - Maximum Gross Weight.
  The weight of the vehicle unladen plus the weight of the maximum load to be carried by such vehicle during the registration period or the...
• 122-b - Maximum Performance Speed.
  For the purposes of article forty-eight-A of this chapter, maximum performance speed shall be the greatest speed which can be attained and maintained by a...
• 122-c - Mobile Home or Manufactured Home.
  A structure, transportable in one or more sections, which in the traveling mode, is eight body feet or more in width or forty body feet...
• 123 - Motorcycle.
  Every motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in...
• 125 - Motor Vehicles.
  Every vehicle operated or driven upon a public highway which is propelled by any power other than muscular power, except (a) electrically-driven mobility assistance devices...
• 125-a - Off-Highway Motorcycle.
  Off-highway motorcycle is a motorcycle which is not equipped in conformity with the provisions of section three hundred eighty-one of this chapter, would not, if...
• 126 - Omnibus.
  Any motor vehicle used in the business of transporting passengers for hire, except such a motor vehicle used in the transportation of agricultural workers to...
• 127 - Overhang.
  That portion of a transported vehicle or boat which extends beyond the front or rear bumper of an automobile transporter or stinger-steered automobile transporter or...
• 128 - Owner.
  A person, other than a lien holder, having the property in or title to a vehicle or vessel. The term includes a person entitled to...
• 129 - Park or Parking.
  Means the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading...
• 129-a - Parking Area of a Shopping Center.
  An area or areas of private property totaling at least one acre, near or contiguous to and provided in connection with premises having one or...
• 129-b - Parking Lot.
  Any area or areas of private property near or contiguous to and provided in connection with premises having one or more stores or business establishments,...
• 130 - Pedestrian.
  Any person afoot or in a wheelchair.
• 130-a - Wheelchair.
  A wheelchair is any manual or electrically driven mobility assistance device, scooter, tricycle or similar device used by a person with a disability as a...
• 131 - Person.
  Every natural person, firm, copartnership, association, or corporation.
• 131-a - Place of Public Assembly.
  A place of public assembly shall include (1) a theatre, (2) a moving picture house, or (3) an assembly hall maintained or leased for pecuniary...
• 132 - Police Officer.
  All police officers as defined in subdivision thirty-four of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, and every duly designated peace officer as defined in...
• 132-a - Police Vehicle.
  Every vehicle owned by the state, a public authority, a county, town, city or village, and operated by the police department or law enforcement agency...
• 133 - Private Road.
  Every way or place in private ownership and used for vehicular travel by the owner and those having express or implied permission from the owner,...
• 134 - Public Highway.
  Any highway, road, street, avenue, alley, public place, public driveway or any other public way.
• 134-a - Qualifying Highway.
  The highways on the national system of interstate and defense highways and federal-aid primary system highways that are designated by the commissioner of transportation pursuant...
• 134-b - Radar Detector.
  Any instrument designed to detect the presence of microwaves at frequencies specifically assigned by the federal communications commission for the purpose of maintaining vehicular speed.
• 134-c - Laser Detector.
  Any instrument designed to detect the presence of laser speed detection devices.
• 135 - Railroad.
  A carrier of persons or property upon cars, other than streetcars, operated upon stationary rails.
• 135-a - Railroad Grade Crossing.
  A location where a public highway or private road, including associated sidewalks, crosses one or more railroad tracks at grade.
• 136 - Railroad Sign or Signal.
  Any sign, signal, or device erected by authority of a public body or official by a railroad and intended to give notice of the presence...
• 137 - Railroad Train.
  A steam engine, electric or other motor locomotive or car, with or without cars coupled thereto, operated upon rails, except streetcars.
• 137-a - Rental Vehicle.
  A vehicle owned by a person engaged in the business of renting or leasing vehicles which is rented or leased without a driver to a...
• 138 - Residence District.
  The territory contiguous to and including a highway not comprising a business district when the property on such highway for a distance of three hundred...
• 139 - Right of Way.
  The right of one vehicle or pedestrian to proceed in a lawful manner in preference to another vehicle or pedestrian approaching under such circumstances of...
• 140 - Roadway.
  That portion of a highway improved, designed, marked, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the shoulder and slope. In the event a highway...
• 140-a - In-Line Skate.
  A manufactured or assembled device consisting of an upper portion that is intended to be secured to a human foot, with a frame or chassis...
• 140-b - Roller Skate.
  A manufactured or assembled device consisting of a frame or shoe having clamps or straps or both for fastening, with a pair of small wheels...
• 140-c - Skate Board.
  A manufactured or assembled device consisting of a platform having a pair of small wheels near the front and another pair at the rear mounted...
• 140-d - Roundabout.
  A circular intersection which is characterized by a circulatory roadway with counterclockwise movement, channelized approaches, low speeds, and yield control of entering traffic. A roundabout...
• 141 - Safety Zone.
  The area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians and which is protected or is so marked or...
• 141-a - Sanitation Patrol Vehicle.
  Every vehicle operated by an officer or member of the sanitation police of the department of sanitation of the city of New York, duly appointed...
• 141-b - Sani-Vans.
  Any motor vehicle which is so designed that it contains a rear compaction unit and is intended for use in the collection of refuse. For...
• 142 - School Bus.
  Every motor vehicle owned by a public or governmental agency or private school and operated for the transportation of pupils, children of pupils, teachers and...
• 143 - Semitrailer.
  Any trailer which is so designed that when operated the forward end of its body or chassis rests upon the body or chassis of the...
• 143-a - Shoulder.
  That improved portion of a highway contiguous with the roadway.
• 144 - Sidewalk.
  That portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines, intended for the use...
• 144-a - Slope.
  That portion of a highway exclusive of the roadway and shoulder.
• 144-b - Snow Emergency.
  A determination made by the official having jurisdiction of a highway that, because of existing or forecasted weather conditions, pursuant to section sixteen hundred twenty-one,...
• 145 - Stand or Standing.
  Means the stopping of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging
• 145-a - State Expressway Routes.
  Those highways specified and described as such pursuant to section three hundred forty-c of the highway law.
• 145-b - State Interstate Routes.
  Those highways specified and described as such pursuant to section three hundred forty-a of the highway law.
• 145-c - Snow Emergency Route.
  A street or highway designated as a snow emergency route by the state or municipality having jurisdiction over such street or highway upon which no...
• 145-d - Definition of Snow Tire.
  Snow tires shall include tires in which the ply cords extending to the beads are nearly at right angles to the center line of the...
• 145-e - Stinger-Steered Automobile Transporter.
  An automobile transporter configured as a semitrailer combination wherein the fifth wheel is located on a drop frame located behind and below the rear-most axle...
• 145-f - Stinger-Steered Boat Transporter.
  A boat transporter configured as a semitrailer combination wherein the fifth wheel is located on a drop frame located behind and below the rear-most axle...
• 146 - Stop.
  When required means complete cessation from movement.
• 147 - Stop or Stopping.
  When prohibited means any halting even momentarily of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in...
• 148 - Street.
  The entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for...
• 148-a - Taxicab.
  Every motor vehicle, other than a bus, used in the business of transporting passengers for compensation, and operated in such business under a license or...
• 148-b - Tow Truck.
  A motor vehicle that tows or carries a disabled, illegally parked or abandoned motor vehicle or a motor vehicle involved in an accident.
• 149 - Through Highway.
  Every highway or portion thereof on which vehicular traffic is given preferential right of way, and at the entrances to which vehicular traffic from intersecting...
• 151-a - Tractor.
  A motor vehicle designed and used as the power unit in combination with a semitrailer or trailer, or two such trailers in tandem. Any such...
• 152 - Traffic.
  Pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, bicycles, and other conveyances either singly or together while using any highway for purposes of travel.
• 153 - Traffic Control Devices.
  All signs, signals, markings, and devices not inconsistent with this chapter placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction for...
• 154 - Traffic-Control Signal.
  Any device, whether manually, electrically, or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and permitted to proceed.
• 155 - Traffic Infraction.
  * The violation of any provision of this chapter, except articles forty-seven and forty-eight, or of any law, ordinance, order, rule or regulation regulating traffic...
• 156 - Trailer.
  Any vehicle not propelled by its own power drawn on the public highways by a motor vehicle as defined in section one hundred twenty-five operated...
• 157 - Trolley Bus or Trolley Coach.
  Any motor vehicle not operated on rails or tracks which is propelled by electric power received from overhead trolley wires and which is operated by...
• 158 - Truck.
  Every motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
• 158-a - U Turn.
  Any turn executed so as to proceed in the opposite direction.
• 158-b - Vanpool Vehicle.
  Any motor vehicle which is manufactured and equipped in such manner as to provide a seating capacity of not less than six and not more...
• 159 - Vehicle.
  Every device in, upon, or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except devices moved by...
• 159-a - Waste Collection Vehicle.
  Any motor vehicle which is commonly classified as a garbage truck that is designed for and is used in the collection of refuse and/or recyclable
• 160 - Wheel Lift.
  Any device that may be extended beyond the rear bumper of a tow truck or car carrier for the purpose of towing another vehicle. Such...
• 161 - Work Area.
  That part of a highway being used or occupied for the conduct of highway work, within which workers, vehicles, equipment, materials, supplies, excavations, or other...

Last modified: February 3, 2019