ACCIDENTS AND ACCIDENT REPORTS
346.66
346.66
Applicability of sections relating to accidents and accident reporting. In addition to being applicable upon highways,
ss. 346.67 to
346.70 are applicable upon all premises held out to the public for use of their motor vehicles, all premises provided by employers to employees for the use of their motor vehicles and all premises provided to tenants of rental housing in buildings of 4 or more units for the use of their motor vehicles, whether such premises are publicly or privately owned and whether or not a fee is charged for the use thereof. These sections do not apply to private parking areas at farms or single-family residences or to accidents involving only snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles or vehicles propelled by human power or drawn by animals.
346.66 Annotation
The test for whether a premises is held out to the public is whether on any given day, potentially any resident of the community with a driver's license and access to a motor vehicle could use the premises in an authorized manner. State v. Carter,
229 Wis. 2d 200,
598 N.W.2d 619 (Ct. App. 1999).
346.665
346.665
Definition. In
ss. 346.67 to
346.72, notwithstanding
s. 340.01 (42), "owner" means, with respect to a vehicle that is registered, or required to be registered, by a lessee of the vehicle under
ch. 341, the lessee of the vehicle.
346.665 History
History: 1997 a. 27.
346.67
346.67
Duty upon striking person or attended or occupied vehicle. 346.67(1)(1) The operator of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or in damage to a vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident until the operator has fulfilled the following requirements:
346.67(1)(a)
(a) The operator shall give his or her name, address and the registration number of the vehicle he or she is driving to the person struck or to the operator or occupant of or person attending any vehicle collided with; and
346.67(1)(b)
(b) The operator shall, upon request and if available, exhibit his or her operator's license to the person struck or to the operator or occupant of or person attending any vehicle collided with; and
346.67(1)(c)
(c) The operator shall render to any person injured in such accident reasonable assistance, including the carrying, or the making of arrangements for the carrying, of such person to a physician, surgeon or hospital for medical or surgical treatment if it is apparent that such treatment is necessary or if such carrying is requested by the injured person.
346.67(2)
(2) Any stop required under
sub. (1) shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.
346.67 History
History: 1991 a. 316;
1997 a. 258.
346.67 Annotation
Failure to stop and render aid to multiple victims of a single accident may result in multiple charges without multiplicity defects arising. State v. Hartnek,
146 Wis. 2d 188,
430 N.W.2d 361 (Ct. App. 1988).
346.67 Annotation
A "person injured" in sub. (1) (c) includes a person who is fatally injured. A subsequent determination of instantaneous death does not absolve a person of the duty to investigate whether assistance is possible. State v. Swatek,
178 Wis. 2d 1,
502 N.W.2d 909 (Ct. App. 1993).
346.68
346.68
Duty upon striking unattended vehicle. The operator of any vehicle which collides with any vehicle which is unattended shall immediately stop and either locate and notify the operator or owner of such vehicle of the name and address of the operator and owner of the vehicle striking the unattended vehicle or leave in a conspicuous place in the vehicle struck, a written notice giving the name and address of the operator and of the owner of the vehicle doing the striking and a statement of the circumstances thereof. Any such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.
346.68 History
History: 1997 a. 258.
346.68 Annotation
Driver's knowledge of collision with unattended vehicle need not be proved under this section. 68 Atty. Gen. 274.
346.69
346.69
Duty upon striking property on or adjacent to highway. The operator 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 such property of such fact and of the operator's name and address and of the registration number of the vehicle the operator is driving and shall upon request and if available exhibit his or her operator's license and shall make report of such accident when and as required in
s. 346.70.
346.69 History
History: 1991 a. 316.
346.70
346.70
Duty to report accident. 346.70(1)
(1)
Immediate notice of accident. The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, any damage to state or other government-owned property, except a state or other government-owned vehicle, to an apparent extent of $200 or more or total damage to property owned by any one person or to a state or other government-owned vehicle to an apparent extent of $1,000 or more shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of such accident to the police department, the sheriff's department or the traffic department of the county or municipality in which the accident occurred or to a state traffic patrol officer. In this subsection, "injury" means injury to a person of a physical nature resulting in death or the need of first aid or attention by a physician or surgeon, whether or not first aid or medical or surgical treatment was actually received; "total damage to property owned by one person" means the sum total cost of putting the property damaged in the condition it was before the accident, if repair thereof is practical, and if not practical, the sum total cost of replacing such property. For purposes of this subsection if any property which is damaged is held in a form of joint or multiple ownership, the property shall be considered to be owned by one person.
346.70(2)
(2) Written report of accident. Unless a report is made under
sub. (4) by a law enforcement agency, within 10 days after an accident of the type described in
sub. (1), the operator of a vehicle involved in the accident shall forward a written report of the accident to the department. The department may accept or require a report of the accident to be filed by an occupant or the owner in lieu of a report from the operator. Every accident report required to be made in writing shall be made on the appropriate form approved by the department and shall contain all of the information required therein unless not available. The report shall include information sufficient to enable the department to determine whether the requirements for deposit of security under
s. 344.14 are inapplicable by reason of the existence of insurance or other exceptions specified in
ch. 344.
346.70(3)
(3) Who to report when operator unable. Whenever the operator of a vehicle is physically incapable of giving the notice and making the report required by
subs. (1) and
(2), the owner of the vehicle involved in the accident shall give the notice and make the report required by
subs. (1) and
(2). If the owner of the vehicle is physically or mentally incapable of giving the notice and making the report required by
subs. (1) and
(2), and if there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident capable of giving the notice and making the report, the occupant shall give the notice and make the report.
346.70(3m)
(3m) Duty of department with respect to accident reports. 346.70(3m)(a)(a) The department may require any operator, occupant or owner of a vehicle involved in an accident of which report must be made as provided in
s. 346.70 to file supplemental reports whenever the original report is insufficient in the opinion of the department and may require witnesses of accidents to render reports to the department.
346.70(3m)(b)
(b) The department 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.
346.70(3m)(c)
(c) The department shall prepare and supply at its own expense to police departments, coroners, sheriffs and other suitable agencies or individuals, forms or an automated format for accident reports required to be made to the department. Any report forms and automated format shall call for sufficiently detailed information to disclose with reference to a traffic accident the cause, conditions then existing, and the persons and vehicles involved.
346.70(4)
(4) Police and traffic agencies to report. 346.70(4)(a)(a) Every law enforcement agency investigating or receiving a report of a traffic accident as described in
sub. (1) shall forward an original written report of the accident or a report of the accident in an automated format to the department within 10 days after the date of the accident.
346.70(4)(b)
(b) The reports shall be made on a uniform traffic accident report form or in an automated format prescribed by the secretary. The uniform traffic accident report form shall be supplied by the secretary in sufficient quantities to meet the requirements of the department and the law enforcement agency.
346.70(4)(f)
(f) Notwithstanding
s. 346.73, any person may with proper care, during office hours, and subject to such orders or regulations as the custodian thereof prescribes, examine or copy such uniform traffic accident reports, including supplemental or additional reports, statements of witnesses, photographs and diagrams, retained by local authorities, the state traffic patrol or any other investigating law enforcement agency.
346.70(4)(g)
(g) The department, upon request of local enforcement agencies, shall make available to them compilations of data obtained from such reports.
346.70(4)(h)
(h) Every law enforcement agency investigating or receiving a report of a traffic accident as described in
sub. (1) shall forward a copy of the report of the accident to the county traffic safety commission or to the person designated to maintain spot maps under
s. 83.013 (1) (a) in the county where the accident occurred when the accident occurred on a county or town road or on a street where the population of the city, village or town is less than 5,000. For traffic accidents occurring within a city or village with a population of 5,000 or more, the law enforcement agency investigating or receiving a report shall forward a copy of the report of the accident to the city or village where the accident occurred.
346.70(5)
(5) Falsifying reports. No person shall falsely make and file or transmit any accident report or knowingly make a false statement in any accident report which is filed or transmitted pursuant to this section.
346.70 Annotation
Items subject to examination under s. 346.70 (4) (f) may not be withheld by the prosecution under the common law rule that investigative material may be withheld from a criminal defendant. State ex rel. Young v. Shaw,
165 Wis. 2d 276,
477 N.W.2d 340 (Ct. App. 1991).
346.70 Annotation
A county sheriff's department is not a consumer reporting agency subject to the fair credit reporting act for reports under sub. (4). However, the federal trade commission has taken an opposite position. 63 Atty. Gen. 364.
346.71
346.71
Coroners or medical examiners to report; require blood specimen. 346.71(1)
(1) Every coroner or medical examiner shall, on or before the 10th day of each month, report in writing any accident involving a motor vehicle occurring within the coroner's or medical examiner's jurisdiction resulting in the death of any person during the preceding calendar month. If the accident involved an all-terrain vehicle, the report shall be made to the department of natural resources and shall include the information specified by that department. If the accident involved any other motor vehicle, the report shall be made to the department and shall include the information specified by the department. The coroner or medical examiner of the county where the death occurs, if the accident occurred in another jurisdiction, shall, immediately upon learning of the death, report it to the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the accident occurred, as provided in
s. 979.01 (1).
346.71(2)
(2) In cases of death involving a motor vehicle in which the decedent was the operator of a motor vehicle, a pedestrian 14 years of age or older or a bicycle operator 14 years of age or older and who died within 6 hours of the time of the accident, the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the death occurred shall require that a blood specimen of at least 10 cc. be withdrawn from the body of the decedent within 12 hours after his or her death, by the coroner or medical examiner or by a physician so designated by the coroner or medical examiner or by a qualified person at the direction of the physician. All funeral directors shall obtain a release from the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the accident occurred as provided in
s. 979.01 (4) prior to proceeding with embalming any body coming under the scope of this section. The blood so drawn shall be forwarded to a laboratory approved by the department of health and family services for analysis of the alcoholic content of the blood specimen. The coroner or medical examiner causing the blood to be withdrawn shall be notified of the results of each analysis made and shall forward the results of each such analysis to the department of health and family services. If the death involved a motor vehicle, the department shall keep a record of all such examinations to be used for statistical purposes only and the department shall disseminate and make public the cumulative results of the examinations without identifying the individuals involved. If the death involved an all-terrain vehicle, the department of natural resources shall keep a record of all such examinations to be used for statistical purposes only and the department of natural resources shall disseminate and make public the cumulative results of the examinations without identifying the individuals involved.
346.71(3)
(3) In a case of death involving a motor vehicle in which the accident and the death occur in different counties, the county where the death occurs may charge the county where the accident occurs a reasonable fee for withdrawing the blood specimen from the body of the decedent as required under
sub. (2).
346.71 Annotation
Coroners' blood test records under sub. (2) are not confidential. Test results are presumptively accurate. Staples v. Glienke,
142 Wis. 2d 19,
416 N.W.2d 920 (Ct. App. 1987).
346.72
346.72
Garages to keep record of repairs of accident damage. The person in charge of any garage or repair shop to which is brought any motor vehicle which shows evidence of having been involved in an accident shall keep a record of the date such vehicle is brought in and the nature of the repair, the name and address of the owner, and the make, year and registration number of the vehicle. Such record shall be kept in the place of business during business hours and shall be open to inspection by any traffic officer. Shop records normally kept by garages and repair shops are adequate for the purpose of this section if they contain the information specified in this section.
346.73
346.73
Accident reports not to be used in trial. Notwithstanding
s. 346.70 (4) (f), accident reports required to be filed with or transmitted to the department or a county or municipal authority shall not be used as evidence in any judicial trial, civil or criminal, arising out of an accident, except that such reports may be used as evidence in any administrative proceeding conducted by the department. The department shall furnish upon demand of any person who has or claims to have made such a report, or upon demand of any court, a certificate showing that a specified accident report has or has not been made to the department solely to prove a compliance or a failure to comply with the requirement that such a report be made to the department.
346.74
346.74
Penalty for violating sections 346.67 to 346.73. 346.74(1)(1) Any person violating
s. 346.72 may be required to forfeit not less than $20 nor more than $40 for the first offense and may be required to forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $100 for the 2nd or subsequent conviction within a year.
346.74(2)
(2) Any person violating
s. 346.70 (1),
(2) or
(3),
346.71 or
346.73 may be required to forfeit not less than $40 nor more than $200 for the first offense and may be required to forfeit not less than $100 nor more than $500 for the 2nd or subsequent conviction within a year.
346.74(4)
(4) Any person violating
s. 346.70 (5) may be required to forfeit not less than $25 nor more than $50.
346.74(5)(a)
(a) Shall be fined not less than $300 nor more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than 6 months or both if the accident did not involve death or injury to a person.
346.74(5)(b)
(b) Shall be fined not less than $300 nor more than $5,000 or imprisoned not less than 10 days nor more than 2 years or both if the accident involved injury to a person but the person did not suffer great bodily harm.
346.74(5)(c)
(c) May be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than 3 years or both if the accident involved injury to a person and the person suffered great bodily harm.
346.74(5)(d)
(d) May be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than 7 years and 6 months or both if the accident involved death to a person.
346.74(5)(e)
(e) Is guilty of a felony if the accident involved death or injury to a person.
BICYCLES AND PLAY VEHICLES
346.77
346.77
Responsibility of parent or guardian for violation of bicycle and play vehicle regulations. No parent or guardian of any child shall authorize or knowingly permit such child to violate any of the provisions of
ss. 346.78 to
346.804 and
347.489.
346.77 History
History: 1983 a. 243 s.
66.
346.78
346.78
Play vehicles not to be used on roadway. No person riding upon any play vehicle may attach the same or himself or herself to any vehicle upon a roadway or go upon any roadway except while crossing a roadway at a crosswalk.
346.78 History
History: 1983 a. 243.
346.79
346.79
Special rules applicable to bicycles. Whenever a bicycle is operated upon a highway, bicycle lane or bicycle way the following rules apply:
346.79(1)
(1) A person propelling a bicycle shall not ride other than upon or astride a permanent and regular seat attached thereto.
346.79(2)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (b), no bicycle may be used to carry or transport more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed.
346.79(2)(b)
(b) In addition to the operator, a bicycle otherwise designed to carry only the operator may be used to carry or transport a child seated in an auxiliary child's seat or trailer designed for attachment to a bicycle if the seat or trailer is securely attached to the bicycle according to the directions of the manufacturer of the seat or trailer.
346.79(3)
(3) No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle or article which prevents the operator from keeping at least one hand upon the handle bars.
346.79(4)
(4) No person riding a bicycle shall attach himself or herself or his or her bicycle to any vehicle upon a roadway.
346.79(5)
(5) No person may ride a moped or motor bicycle with the power unit in operation upon a bicycle way.
346.79 Annotation
When two persons ride on a single bicycle designed for one person to which an additional seat, but no footrests or handgrips, has been added, sub. (2) is violated. 61 Atty. Gen. 360.
346.80
346.80
Riding bicycle on roadway. 346.80(1)
(1) In this section, "substandard width lane" means a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
346.80(2)(a)(a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand edge or curb of the unobstructed traveled roadway, including operators who are riding 2 or more abreast where permitted under
sub. (3), except:
346.80(2)(a)1.
1. When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
346.80(2)(a)2.
2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
346.80(2)(a)3.
3. When reasonably necessary to avoid unsafe conditions, including fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or substandard width lanes that make it unsafe to ride along the right-hand edge or curb.
346.80(2)(b)
(b) Notwithstanding
par. (a), any person operating a bicycle upon a one-way highway having 2 or more lanes available for traffic may ride as near the left-hand edge or curb of the roadway as practicable.
346.80(2)(c)
(c) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall exercise due care when passing a standing or parked vehicle or a vehicle proceeding in the same direction, allowing a minimum of 3 feet between the bicycle and the vehicle, and shall give an audible signal when passing a bicycle rider proceeding in the same direction.
346.80(3)(a)(a) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway may ride 2 abreast if such operation does not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. Bicycle operators riding 2 abreast on a 2-lane or more roadway shall ride within a single lane.
346.80(3)(b)
(b) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway may not ride more than 2 abreast except upon any path, trail, lane or other way set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
346.80(4)
(4) No person may operate a bicycle or moped upon a roadway where a sign is erected indicating that bicycle or moped riding is prohibited.
