Who had the right of way in an intersection crash in Nevada?

Last updated October 7, 2026.

It depends on what controlled the intersection. At a signal, the driver facing green or a green arrow generally goes first, but a driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic that is close enough to be an immediate hazard (NRS 484B.253, 484B.307). At stop signs, dark signals and uncontrolled intersections, Nevada's statutes set a clear order of who yields.

Right of way matters because it is usually the starting point for fault. In a Las Vegas car accident claim after a T-bone or turning crash, the insurer will ask which driver had to yield, then whether the other driver also did something careless. This page walks through the rules in the order they come up, then explains how shared fault changes the result.

How is right of way sorted out after a Las Vegas intersection crash?

Adjusters, police and, if needed, a jury tend to work through the same questions. You can use the same list to organize what you know.

What controlled the intersection? A working signal, a flashing signal, a dark signal, stop or yield signs, or nothing at all. Each has its own statute, listed in the table below.
What did each driver face? Green ball, green arrow, flashing yellow arrow, yellow, red, or a sign. Photos of the signal heads and lane markings help here.
Who was turning? A turning driver usually has extra yield duties, toward oncoming cars and toward pedestrians in the crosswalk.
Who was already in the intersection? Several rules turn on whether a vehicle had entered first or was close enough to be an "immediate hazard."
What does the report say? The investigating agency's report (Las Vegas Metro, Henderson, North Las Vegas or the Highway Patrol) records statements, diagrams and any citation. Our guide on getting your Las Vegas crash report explains which agency to ask.
Did anyone else contribute? Speed, a phone, or running a late yellow can put part of the fault on the driver who otherwise had the right of way (NRS 41.141).

Nevada's right-of-way rules at a glance

Situation	Who must yield	Statute
Steady green, turning right or left	The turning driver, to vehicles and pedestrians lawfully in the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk	NRS 484B.307(2)
Left turn across oncoming traffic	The left-turning driver, to oncoming vehicles in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard	NRS 484B.253
Green arrow shown with a green ball	Turning traffic still yields to pedestrians and traffic lawfully in the intersection; oncoming traffic faces red while the arrow is lit	NRS 484B.307(3)
Flashing yellow turn arrow	The turning driver may enter cautiously but yields to pedestrians and traffic lawfully in the intersection	NRS 484B.307(7)
Steady yellow	A warning; traffic must not enter once red shows	NRS 484B.307(6)
Steady red, right turn after stopping	The turning driver, to pedestrians and traffic moving on the signal	NRS 484B.307(8)
Stop or yield sign	The driver at the sign, to vehicles that entered from the through road or are close enough to be an immediate hazard	NRS 484B.257
Signal dark (installed but not working)	Treat as a stop sign at every entrance; yield to vehicles that stopped first or are in the intersection	NRS 484B.250(4)
Flashing red / flashing yellow	Flashing red: stop, then follow stop-sign rules; flashing yellow: proceed with caution	NRS 484B.310
No signs or signals	Yield to a vehicle already in the intersection; at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the one on the right; a road that ends yields to the through road	NRS 484B.250(1) to (3)
Leaving a driveway or parking lot	The driver coming out, to all vehicles approaching on the road	NRS 484B.260
Pedestrian in a crosswalk with no working signal	The driver, when the pedestrian is on the driver's half of the road or approaching closely from the other half	NRS 484B.283(1)(a)

What changes the answer

"Immediate hazard" is a judgment call. A left-turning driver yields only to oncoming vehicles in the intersection or "so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard" (NRS 484B.253). Once the turning driver has yielded and signaled, the statute says oncoming drivers must yield to the turning vehicle. Speed, distance and sight lines decide which side of that line a crash falls on. When the oncoming vehicle is a motorcycle, those questions get sharper, as explained in when a car turns left in front of a motorcycle in Nevada.

Right of way is not a license to hit someone. Even the driver with the green light must yield to vehicles and pedestrians lawfully within the intersection when the signal changes (NRS 484B.307(2)). A driver who had the right of way but was speeding or looking at a phone can share fault.

Shared fault reduces, and can bar, recovery. Nevada uses modified comparative negligence. You can recover if your negligence was not greater than that of the parties you are claiming against, and your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault (NRS 41.141). Our post on proving fault in an auto accident goes deeper on how fault is argued. A related post looks at the impact of traffic violations on a claim.

A yellow light is a warning, not a stop. Nevada's statute says a steady yellow warns that red is coming and that traffic must not enter when red is shown (NRS 484B.307(6)). It also bars local rules that would stop a vehicle from finishing its crossing on red when it had completely entered the intersection before the light turned red (NRS 484B.307(13)). Which driver entered when is often the whole case.

Signals that do not detect motorcycles or bicycles. A rider may go through a red after stopping and waiting two full cycles when the signal fails to detect them, but must yield to pedestrians and traffic moving on the signal. If that rider's violation injures someone, the law presumes the facts needed for civil liability, a presumption the rider can try to rebut (NRS 484B.307(8)(d), (10)). Rules for cyclists in bike lanes are covered in bike lane crashes and right of way in Nevada.

Pedestrians. Drivers must yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk when there is no working signal and the pedestrian is on the driver's half of the road, and must not pass a car stopped at a crosswalk until it is clear no one is crossing. Pedestrians may not dart into the path of a car too close to stop (NRS 484B.283). A driver who violates the crosswalk rule and causes a collision with a pedestrian faces an added penalty.

The seat belt is not part of the fault comparison. If the other side argues you were unbuckled, that argument is governed by a separate rule explained in whether an insurer can blame you for not wearing a seat belt in Nevada.

For example: a flashing yellow arrow left turn in Henderson

Imagine a hypothetical driver named Alicia waiting to turn left from a dedicated turn lane at a signal in Henderson. Her arrow is flashing yellow. She sees an oncoming SUV about a block away, judges the gap and starts her turn. The SUV is traveling well over the limit and strikes her passenger side in the intersection.

The SUV driver says Alicia "turned right in front of him." Under NRS 484B.307(7) and 484B.253, Alicia had to yield to oncoming traffic lawfully in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard. The real question is whether a vehicle a block away is an immediate hazard, and the answer depends on its speed.

Alicia's evidence is a dashcam from a car behind her and a business camera at the corner, which together show the SUV's speed and her position when she began the turn. The SUV driver's insurer argues she should have waited. Suppose, hypothetically, that a jury finds Alicia 20 percent at fault and the SUV driver 80 percent, with total damages of $50,000. Under NRS 41.141 her recovery would be reduced by 20 percent, to $40,000. If the finding had been reversed, she would recover nothing. These figures are invented to show how the rule works.

Common mistakes after an intersection crash

Assuming the green light settles it. A green light gives you the right to go, not the right to ignore a car or pedestrian already in the intersection.
Not photographing the signals and signs. Signal timing, arrow types and sign placement can change later. Photos taken the same day, from each approach, are the strongest record.
Waiting too long to ask for video. Businesses near busy corners may record over footage. Ask in writing, quickly, and keep the request. Our post on evidence needed for auto accident claims lists other sources.
Guessing at speeds and distances in a statement. "He came out of nowhere" is honest; "he was doing 70" may not be. Estimates you give an adjuster can be used to argue you saw the car in time.
Apologizing at the scene. "I'm sorry" said out of shock can be quoted later as an admission. Stick to facts and check on people's safety.
Treating a citation as the final word. A ticket shows what the officer concluded, but fault in the injury claim is decided on all of the evidence.

What to do this week

Write down, while you still remember, what signal or sign you faced, what lane you were in, and where the other car was when you first saw it.
Go back to the intersection, if it is safe, and photograph each approach, the signal heads, signs and lane markings.
List every business or home with a camera facing the intersection and send each a short written request to preserve video from the date and time of the crash.
Request the crash report and check the diagram and the statements against your memory.
Look up the intersection in our post on dangerous intersections for drivers in Las Vegas if it is one of the busy corners the post discusses.
Calendar the 2-year deadline to sue for injuries (NRS 11.190); the court steps are in what happens after a car accident lawsuit is filed in Clark County.

Frequently asked questions

Is the left-turning driver always at fault in Nevada?

No. The left-turning driver must yield to oncoming traffic that is in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard (NRS 484B.253). If the oncoming driver was speeding, ran a red, or was far enough away that the turn was reasonable, fault can shift or be shared.

What if the traffic light was out?

When a signal is installed but not working, every driver must treat it as a stop sign at each entrance, stop, then proceed cautiously, yielding to vehicles that stopped first or are already in the intersection (NRS 484B.250(4)).

Who goes first when two cars reach an intersection with no signs at the same time?

Where there are no signs or signals, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right when both enter at about the same time (NRS 484B.250(2)). If one road ends at the intersection, the driver on the ending road yields to traffic on the through road (NRS 484B.250(3)). These tie-breakers do not apply where signs or working signals control the intersection.

Can I turn right on red in Nevada?

Generally yes, after a full stop, from the far right lane, unless a sign prohibits it, and you must yield to pedestrians and traffic moving on the signal (NRS 484B.307(8)(c)). A crash during a right on red usually turns on whether that yield happened.

What if I was pulling out of a casino or shopping center driveway?

A driver entering a road from a private way must yield to all vehicles approaching on that road (NRS 484B.260). The approaching driver can still share fault for speed or inattention under NRS 41.141.

Does the other driver's ticket mean I win?

Not by itself. The citation is strong evidence of what the officer concluded, but the insurer and, if needed, a court still look at all the evidence and at any share of fault on your side.

Who decides the percentages of fault?

In negotiations, the adjusters argue about them. If the case goes to trial, the jury returns a special verdict with the percentage of negligence for each party (NRS 41.141(2)).

If you were hurt in an intersection crash in Las Vegas and the other driver is disputing who had the right of way, you can go over the facts with attorney Maysoun Fletcher. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation.