NRS 484B.307 Traffic controlled by official traffic-control devices exhibiting different colored lights

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NRS 484B.307  Traffic controlled by official traffic-control devices exhibiting different colored lights: Rights and duties of vehicular traffic and pedestrians depending upon particular signal displayed; exceptions for person driving motorcycle, moped or trimobile or riding bicycle, electric bicycle or electric scooter; signals placed over individual lanes; certain restrictions upon local authorities; additional penalty for violation committed in pedestrian safety zone.

1.  Whenever traffic is controlled by official traffic-control devices exhibiting different colored lights, or colored lighted arrows, successively one at a time or in combination as declared in the manual and specifications adopted by the Department of Transportation, only the colors green, yellow and red may be used, except for special pedestrian-control devices carrying a word legend as provided in NRS 484B.283. The lights, arrows and combinations thereof indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as provided in this section.

2.  When the signal is circular green alone:

(a) Vehicular traffic facing the signal may proceed straight through or turn right or left unless another device at the place prohibits either or both such turns. Such vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, must yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time the signal is exhibited.

(b) Pedestrians facing such a signal may proceed across the highway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk, unless directed otherwise by another device as provided in NRS 484B.283.

3.  Where the signal is circular green with a green turn arrow:

(a) Vehicular traffic facing the signal may proceed to make the movement indicated by the green turn arrow or such other movement as is permitted by the circular green signal, but the traffic must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection at the time the signal is exhibited. Drivers turning in the direction of the arrow when displayed with the circular green are thereby advised that so long as a turn arrow is illuminated, oncoming or opposing traffic simultaneously faces a steady red signal.

(b) Pedestrians facing such a signal may proceed across the highway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk, unless directed otherwise by another device as provided in NRS 484B.283.

4.  Where the signal is a green turn arrow alone:

(a) Vehicular traffic facing the signal may proceed only in the direction indicated by the arrow signal so long as the arrow is illuminated, but the traffic must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within the adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

(b) Pedestrians facing such a signal shall not enter the highway until permitted to proceed by another device as provided in NRS 484B.283.

5.  Where the signal is a green straight-through arrow alone:

(a) Vehicular traffic facing the signal may proceed straight through, but must not turn right or left. Such vehicular traffic must yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time the signal is exhibited.

(b) Pedestrians facing such a signal may proceed across the highway within the appropriate marked or unmarked crosswalk, unless directed otherwise by another device as provided in NRS 484B.283.

6.  Where the signal is a steady yellow signal alone:

(a) Vehicular traffic facing the signal is thereby warned that the related green movement is being terminated or that a steady red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter, and such vehicular traffic must not enter the intersection when the red signal is exhibited.

(b) Pedestrians facing such a signal, unless otherwise directed by another device as provided in NRS 484B.283, are thereby advised that there is insufficient time to cross the highway.

7.  Where the signal is a flashing yellow turn arrow, displayed alone or in combination with another signal:

(a) Vehicular traffic facing the signal is permitted to cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by the arrow signal, or other such movement as is permitted by other signal indications displayed at the same time. Such vehicular traffic must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk and yield the right-of-way to other traffic lawfully within the intersection.

(b) Pedestrians facing such a signal, unless otherwise directed by another device as provided in NRS 484B.283, are thereby advised that there may be insufficient time to cross the highway, but may proceed across the highway within the appropriate marked or unmarked crosswalk.

8.  Where the signal is a steady red signal alone:

(a) Vehicular traffic facing the signal must stop before entering the crosswalk on the nearest side of the intersection where the sign or pavement marking indicates where the stop must be made, or in the absence of any such crosswalk, sign or marking, then before entering the intersection, and, except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (c) and (d), must remain stopped or standing until the green signal is shown.

(b) Pedestrians facing such a signal shall not enter the highway, unless permitted to proceed by another device as provided in NRS 484B.283.

(c) After complying with the requirement to stop, vehicular traffic facing such a signal and situated on the extreme right of the highway may proceed into the intersection for a right turn only when the intersecting highway is two-directional or one-way to the right, or vehicular traffic facing such a signal and situated on the extreme left of a one-way highway may proceed into the intersection for a left turn only when the intersecting highway is one-way to the left, but must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection.

(d) After complying with the requirement to stop, a person driving a motorcycle, moped or trimobile or riding a bicycle, an electric bicycle or an electric scooter may proceed straight through or turn right or left if:

(1) The person waits for two complete cycles of the lights or lighted arrows of the applicable official traffic-control device and the signal does not change because of a malfunction or because the signal failed to detect the presence of the motorcycle, moped, trimobile, bicycle, electric bicycle or electric scooter;

(2) No other device at the place prohibits either or both such turns, if applicable; and

(3) The person yields the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection.

(e) Vehicular traffic facing the signal may not proceed on or through any private or public property to enter the intersecting street where traffic is not facing a red signal to avoid the red signal.

9.  Where the signal is a steady red with a green turn arrow:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b), vehicular traffic facing the signal may enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by the green turn arrow, but must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection. Drivers turning in the direction of the arrow are thereby advised that so long as the turn arrow is illuminated, oncoming or opposing traffic simultaneously faces a steady red signal.

(b) A person driving a motorcycle, moped or trimobile or riding a bicycle, an electric bicycle or an electric scooter facing the signal may proceed straight through or turn in the direction opposite that indicated by the green turn arrow if:

(1) The person stops before entering the crosswalk on the nearest side of the intersection where the sign or pavement marking indicates where the stop must be made or, in the absence of any such crosswalk, sign or marking, before entering the intersection;

(2) The person waits for two complete cycles of the lights or lighted arrows of the applicable official traffic-control device and the signal does not change because of a malfunction or because the signal failed to detect the presence of the motorcycle, moped, trimobile, bicycle, electric bicycle or electric scooter;

(3) No other device at the place prohibits the turn, if applicable; and

(4) The person yields the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

(c) Pedestrians facing such a signal shall not enter the highway, unless permitted to proceed by another device as provided in NRS 484B.283.

10.  If a person violates paragraph (d) of subsection 8 or paragraph (b) of subsection 9 and that violation results in an injury to another person, the violation creates a rebuttable presumption of all facts necessary to impose civil liability for the injury.

11.  If a signal is erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection, the provisions of this section are applicable except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. Any stop required must be made at a sign or pavement marking indicating where the stop must be made, but in the absence of any such device the stop must be made at the signal.

12.  Whenever signals are placed over the individual lanes of a highway, the signals indicate, and apply to drivers of vehicles, as follows:

(a) A downward-pointing green arrow means that a driver facing the signal may drive in any lane over which the green signal is shown.

(b) A red “X” symbol means a driver facing the signal must not enter or drive in any lane over which the red signal is shown.

13.  A local authority shall not adopt an ordinance or regulation or take any other action that prohibits vehicular traffic from crossing an intersection when:

(a) The red signal is exhibited; and

(b) The vehicular traffic in question had already completely entered the intersection before the red signal was exhibited. For the purposes of this paragraph, a vehicle shall be considered to have “completely entered” an intersection when all portions of the vehicle have crossed the limit line or other point of demarcation behind which vehicular traffic must stop when a red signal is displayed.

14.  A person who violates any provision of this section may be subject to the additional penalty set forth in NRS 484B.135.

(Added to NRS by 1969, 1490; A 1973, 1323; 1979, 1802; 1981, 864; 2007, 665; 2013, 428; 2015, 1569; 2019, 1887) — (Substituted in revision for NRS 484.283)

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