17300.  (a) Any person who willfully or negligently damages any
street or highway, or its appurtenances, including, but not limited
to, guard rails, signs, traffic signals, snow poles, and similar
facilities, is liable for the reasonable cost of the repair or
replacement thereof.
   (b) Any person who willfully or negligently causes or permits the
contents of any vehicle to be deposited upon any street or highway,
or its appurtenances, is liable for the reasonable costs of removing
those contents from the street or highway or its appurtenances.
   (c) The liability stated in this section also applies to an owner
of a vehicle operated with the owner's permission, as provided in
Article 2 (commencing with Section 17150), and includes liability for
the reasonable cost of necessary safety precautions, including, but
not limited to, warning traffic, the removal of debris resulting from
accidents, the removal of any materials, or providing detours.
   (d) The Department of Transportation and local authorities, with
respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions, may present
claims for liability under this section, bring actions for recovery
thereon, and settle and compromise, in their discretion, claims
arising under this section.
   (e) If the Department of Transportation or a local authority
provides services on a highway outside its jurisdiction, at the
request of the department or the local authority which has
jurisdiction over that highway, the department or the local authority
may present a claim for liability for rendering this service under
this section, bring actions for recovery thereon, and, in its
discretion, settle and compromise the claim.



17301.  (a) Any person driving any vehicle, object, or contrivance
over a highway or bridge is liable for all damages which the highway
or bridge may sustain as a result of any illegal operation, driving
or moving of the vehicle, object, or contrivance, or as a result of
operating, driving, or moving any vehicle, object, or contrivance
weighing in excess of the maximum weight specified in this code which
is operated under a special permit issued by the Department of
Transportation.
   (b) Whenever the driver is not the owner of the vehicle, object,
or contrivance but is operating, driving, or moving the same with the
express or implied permission of the owner, the owner and driver are
jointly and severally liable for the damage.



17302.  The driver, or the owner and driver, jointly, as the case
may be, are also liable for all damages that any highway or bridge
sustains as the result of any operation, driving, or moving of any
vehicle that exceeds any of the limitations imposed by Division 15
(commencing with Section 35000), Chapter 1 (commencing with Section
29000) of Division 13, Section 21461 with respect to a sign erected
under Section 35655, and Sections 21712 and 23114 even though the
vehicle is exempted from the limitations by Section 35001, 35104,
35105, 35106, 35108, 35250, 35400, 35414, or 36615.



17303.  Damages under Sections 17301 and 17302 may be recovered in a
civil action brought by the authorities in control of the highway or
bridge.