NRS 484B.163: Obstruction of or Interference With Driver’s View

It should be obvious to anyone who has been behind the wheel that a clear vision is needed to drive safely. That vision is needed for viewpoints out the front window as well as the sides. Anything blocking those views causes danger for the driver and anyone else on the road at the same time.

Obstructions can come in many different forms. A cracked windshield is quite common and perhaps represents the most relevant example. Stickers on the windshield could also pose a problem and even something located on the dashboard that reflects into the windshield causing visibility issues to the driver can be a problem.

In Nevada, there is a statute that explains what causes a driver to break the law when their visibility is obstructed.

What is NRS 484B.163 and What Does It Say

Nevada Revised Statute 484B.163 reads as follows:

NRS 484B.163 Obstruction of or interference with driver’s view; interference with driver’s control over driving mechanism; vision of driver through required glass equipment; additional penalty for violation committed in work zone.

There are more specifics to this statute and we will cover those later on in the article. At first glance though, the NRS really is about not having items or any type of restriction that makes operating your vehicle at a level less than what it is intended for.

If you are ever given a ticket from law enforcement for being in violation of NRS 484B.163 you should certainly reach out to Ticket Busters for assistance. You will definitely want to contact us regardless of if there was an accident or if anyone was hurt.

Even just getting a citation will cause you to lose some time and money via fines and possible court appearances (or driving school). We can help get that reduced so do not wait to call us if you have an unwarranted meeting with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, Henderson Police or Nevada Highway Patrol.

How to Avoid Violating NRS 484B.163

There are four subpoints within this NRS that provide more specifics for those driving in Nevada.

Consideration #1: Number of Passengers in the Front Seat

The first one pertains to how many people can be loaded and how the vehicle can be loaded. It reads:

A person shall not drive a vehicle when it is so loaded, or when there are in the front seat such number of persons, exceeding three, as to obstruct the view of the driver to the front or sides of the vehicle or as to interfere with the driver’s control over the driving mechanism of the vehicle.

As this series of the Nevada Revised Statute specifically states, there cannot be more than three people riding in the front seat and that includes the driver. It makes sense, as even three riders can be pretty tight in the front seat.

That would be especially true depending on the layout of the vehicle and whether or not it is a manual transmission. If the car is a manual then the stick shift would be located between the seats making it quite uncomfortable for a third person to be sitting let alone quite dangerous for everyone involved. This is a moot point for an older model vehicle with “three on the tree”.

Regarding the layout or model type, the vehicle could have bench seating or bucket seats. An automobile with bench seating is more accommodating for a third person but things can still be cozy. As a reminder, three people are acceptable but once a fourth person is seen in the front seat you are in violation of the statute here in Las Vegas or any other location in Nevada.

If the car has bucket seats then the layout is typical of one with a manual transmission making it extremely tight for a third person. Not only does having this many people in the front seat of a car make the visibility more difficult for the driver to see out the side window but it can cause issues for the driver to access the stick shift or other gears if they are located in the middle near the center console.

Regardless of how many people are located in the front seat or anywhere else in the car, you can still be in violation even if you are not adhering to the first section of this statute. If there is a passenger in your car that is sitting (or in any other type of position) that is riding in such a way that is interfering with the driver’s visibility through the windshield or side windows then there is a problem.

Consideration #2: Positions of the Passengers

The second aspect of NRS 484B.163 references this situation as well as someone riding in a way that reduces the driver’s ability to operate the vehicle. It states:

A passenger in a vehicle shall not ride in such position as to interfere with the driver’s view ahead or to the sides, or to interfere with the driver’s control over the driving mechanism of the vehicle.

As an example, if there are three people in the front seat including the driver and two others, then that is in compliance based on the statute. However, as this aspect of the statute states, if the two drivers are for instance sitting on the lap of one another then that could cause visibility issues for the driver and therefore be in violation of the NRS.

Another example could be if someone is sitting in the middle area of the front seat but in the way of the gear shift which does not allow the driver to properly operate the vehicle.

There are many other examples as well that could also be referenced in other parts of the vehicle such as the back seat.

Consideration #3:  Visibility of the Driver Through the Windshield

The third part of this NRS is specifically about the windshield. Basically, it reads that the visibility through it must be “normal” while driving on a highway.

So if you are driving down Interstate 15 that runs parallel to the Las Vegas Strip with a crack in your windshield and are noticed by a Nevada Highway Patrol officer, then you are certainly on grounds to be cited a traffic ticket.

If you do get cited for a ticket for being in violation of this statute or any other in the state of Nevada just know that you have help nearby and call Ticket Busters. This third aspect is written as follows:

Except as otherwise provided in NRS 484D.440, a vehicle must not be operated upon any highway unless the driver’s vision through any required glass equipment is normal.

As you see, it also references another statute. This statute relates to tinted windows. It is quite long so we will not dive into the specifics of it; however, it does provide details as to the “light transmission” and how much is needed to shine through the windows. It also provides specifics on what is prohibited.

Consideration #4:  Work Zone Violations

The last aspect to NRS 484B.163 was written to state that additional penalties could be incurred in certain circumstances. Number four is listed as follows:

A person who violates any provision of this section may be subject to the additional penalty set forth in NRS 484B.130.

To truly understand what this aspect is about, we need to refresh ourselves on the other NRS that is referenced and it is part of the infamous Rules of the Road. Again, we will not do a deep dive into the specifics of it but the NRS states that double penalties can be deemed acceptable if the violation is committed in a work zone.

There are some exceptions to this but if you are caught with more than three passengers in the front seat or riders that are impairing the driver’s ability to see or operate the vehicle while in a work zone then you can expect your penalty to be doubled. The same goes if you are driving along a highway in Nevada with a damaged windshield while construction is going on.

Cited for a Traffic Ticket?

If you ever get a traffic ticket for having a damaged windshield while driving on the highway or for having passengers in your vehicle that a law enforcement officer deems to be causing you to not operate the vehicle properly you should email, call or simply come by our Ticket Busters office.

We are located near downtown Las Vegas and will investigate and research any traffic tickets you might receive. In the case of NRS 484B.163, we will do our due diligence to verify that the citing officer’s reasoning was justified.

If you are cited with having a passenger obstruct your view as the driver or cause to you to not be able to operate the vehicle properly, we will investigate the situation to verify that. In our experience, it can be quite difficult for a traffic officer to truly know if that was the case since they were not in the car.

We will often conduct interviews with you and the other people in the car to help us build a strategic case to help you in getting your traffic ticket reduced or sometimes even dropped completely.

Frequently Asked Questions

We know it can be overwhelming to be pulled over and cited with a traffic ticket, so we have put together a few frequently asked questions here.