Dear Red Phone,
“I live in a court with six homes in east Morgan Hill. A few days a week, I will sit in the front yard and allow my kids to ride their bikes and scooters in the street within the court. I felt it was a good idea to buy one of those ‘children at play signs’ to alert drivers of the children in the area. Tonight, one of my neighbors stopped his car and told me the sign was an obstruction in the road and it must be removed. After I told him it was for safety, he identified himself as a police officer and told me if I did not remove it, he would call the police and have an officer come by and cite me. I am now curious of what the law is and where I can place this sign to alert drivers and help keep the neighborhood kids stay safe. Thanks.”
Red Phone: Dear reader, MHPD Capt. Shane Palsgrove points out it is “technically against the law to place these signs in the roadway,” per California Vehicle Code Section 23112 (a), which states “no person shall deposit upon any highway any substance likely to injure or damage traffic using the highway of any kind.” However, “we would likely not enforce the letter of the law and would use the spirit of the law to work with the owner to find a location for the signs that would benefit both the driver and kids playing in the street,” Palsgrove says. He suggests that if a citizen has a concern on where to place the sign, he/she should call their local police department for assistance.
