1.    An individual may not stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, upon the paved or main-traveled part of any highway if it is practicable to stop, park, or so leave the vehicle off the paved or main-traveled part of the highway.

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 39-10-47

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Individual: means a human being. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Personal property: includes money, goods, chattels, things in action, and evidences of debt. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Process: means a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Property: includes property, real and personal. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49

There must be an unobstructed width of the highway of not less than twelve feet [3.66 meters] opposite a standing vehicle left for the free passage of other vehicles and a clear view of any stopped vehicle must be available from a distance of not less than two hundred feet [60.96 meters] in each direction upon the highway.

2.    Unless the vehicle is blocking the highway or is otherwise endangering public safety, this section and sections 39-10-49 and 39-10-50 do not apply to the driver of a vehicle which is disabled while on the paved or main-traveled portion of a highway, if stopping and temporarily leaving the disabled vehicle is unavoidable.

3.    Without the consent of the owner or driver of a vehicle and if a vehicle or any personal property or cargo spilled from the vehicle is blocking the highway or is otherwise endangering public safety, a police officer may:

a.    Remove the vehicle or cause the vehicle to be removed from the highway; and

b.    Remove or cause to be removed any personal property or cargo that may have been spilled from the vehicle onto the highway.

4.    If reasonable care is used in the removal process, a police officer and the police officer’s employing agency, the department of transportation or an employee of the department of transportation, or a political subdivision or employee of a political subdivision authorized by a police officer is not liable in civil damages for loss or damage to any vehicle or to any personal property or cargo that may have spilled from a vehicle that is removed from a highway under this section.

5.    The decision and method used to remove a vehicle or any personal property, or cause a vehicle or any personal property to be removed, is a discretionary decision under this section. In the event of a public necessity, a police officer, an employee of the department of transportation, or an employee of a political subdivision authorized by a police officer may take an action that may damage a vehicle or property removed under this section.