Loud mufflers illegal only in use

This week readers want to know whether drivers are subject to citation if they do not pull into the left lane if a police officer has pulled someone over on the right side of the road; what does KOM-674 stand for on a license plate; and what is the law regarding loud mufflers and how do stores get away with selling them?

John P. asks: Can you get fined for not moving into the left lane if an emergency vehicle has pulled someone over on the right side of the road? I thought it was common sense to move over to the passing lane, but I just learned it's a traffic offense in a number of states. Is Nevada one of them?

These are called "move over" laws. Some states, such as South Dakota, have laws that instruct motorists to "merge into the lane farthest from the (emergency) vehicle and proceed with caution."

Capt. Richard Collins, head of the Metropolitan Police Department's Traffic Bureau, said these laws were written to protect police officers performing enforcement duties on the side of the road.

Nevada has a law that touches on the subject, but it isn't nearly as strict as some other states.

Nevada Revised Statute 484.364, section 2b, states "If possible, drive in a lane that is not adjacent to the lane in which the emergency vehicle is stopped, unless roadway, traffic, weather or other conditions make doing so unsafe or impossible."

The law also instructs motorists to slow down to less than the posted speed limit and proceed with caution.

A reader asks: What does "KOM-674" mean? I've seen it on a number of license plate holders around Las Vegas.

Indeed, you can spot the KOM-674 message -- or just KOM -- on license plate holders. The Las Vegas legend is that the KOM stands for "Kin Of Metro." The conspiracy theory is that a driver with KOM on their vehicle, when pulled over by police, would be able to get out of a citation because he is related to a local police officer.

I checked with Capt. Collins on this one. KOM-674 is actually the call sign for the Metropolitan Police Department assigned by the Federal Communications Commission.

After some research, Collins discovered the idea to put the police department's call sign on a license plate holder originated in California.

"What little historical data I have been able to find suggests that this was started so that when an officer pulled a car over with one of these plate holders, the officer doing the vehicle stop would know that the person inside the vehicle was an officer and was most likely armed; i.e. no surprises if the officer saw the butt of a gun sticking out of the seat or a holster on the person being stopped," Collins said.

Over the years word has gotten out about what it represents and the original idea has "morphed into something else," he said. Now anybody can buy such a plate holder.

I suspect some people do it hoping that they can talk their way out of a ticket.

But Collins said having KOM-674 on a vehicle "does not prevent people from being pulled over and once pulled over, does not mean the officer will let his guard down, because anyone could have one of these holders."

Ron asks: What's the law on loud mufflers and how do shops get away with selling mufflers that don't meet that standard?

Nevada Revised Statute 484.611 seems to address this issue. The law states that motorists are not allowed to use a "muffler cutout, bypass or similar device."

The loud mufflers often heard on motorcycles and some cars are considered a bypass or cutout muffler.

The trick is that while using one of these cutout or bypass mufflers on your vehicle is illegal, the law does not prohibit selling or even owning these mufflers.

If you have a question, tip or tirade, call Francis McCabe at (702) 387-2904, or send an e-mail to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com. Please include your phone number.