2021 Colorado Code
Title 42 - Vehicles and Traffic
Article 4 - Regulation of Vehicles and Traffic
Part 2 - Equipment
§ 42-4-201. Obstruction of View or Driving Mechanism - Hazardous Situation

1. No person shall 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.
2. No person shall knowingly drive a vehicle while any passenger therein is riding in any manner which endangers the safety of such passenger or others.
3. A person shall not drive a motor vehicle equipped with a video display visible to the driver while the motor vehicle is in motion. This subsection (3) does not prohibit the usage of a computer, data terminal, or safety equipment in a motor vehicle so long as the computer, data terminal, or safety equipment is not used to display visual entertainment, including internet browsing, social media, and e-mail, to the driver while the motor vehicle is in motion.
4. No vehicle shall be operated upon any highway unless the driver's vision through any required glass equipment is normal and unobstructed.
5. No passenger in a vehicle shall ride in such position as to create a hazard for such passenger or others, or 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; nor shall the driver of a vehicle permit any passenger therein to ride in such manner.
6. No person shall hang on or otherwise attach himself or herself to the outside, top, hood, or fenders of any vehicle, or to any other portion thereof, other than the specific enclosed portion of such vehicle intended for passengers or while in a sitting position in the cargo area of a vehicle if such area is fully or partially enclosed on all four sides, while the same is in motion; nor shall the operator knowingly permit any person to hang on or otherwise attach himself or herself to the outside, top, hood, or fenders of any vehicle, or any other portion thereof, other than the specific enclosed portion of such vehicle intended for passengers or while in a sitting position in the cargo area of a vehicle if such area is fully or partially enclosed on all four sides, while the same is in motion. This subsection (6) shall not apply to parades, caravans, or exhibitions which are officially authorized or otherwise permitted by law.
7. The provisions of subsection (6) of this section shall not apply to a vehicle owned by the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or to a vehicle owned by the state of Colorado or any of its political subdivisions, or to a privately owned vehicle when operating in a governmental capacity under contract with or permit from any governmental subdivision or under permit issued by the public utilities commission of the state of Colorado, when in the performance of their duties persons are required to stand or sit on the exterior of the vehicle and said vehicle is equipped with adequate handrails and safeguards.
8. Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a class A traffic infraction.

History. Source: L. 94: Entire title amended with relocations, p. 2238, § 1, effective January 1, 1995. L. 2012: (3) amended, (SB 12-092), ch. 111, p. 387, § 1, effective July 1.

This title was numbered as numerous articles within chapter 13, C.R.S. 1963. The provisions of this title were amended with relocations in 1994, effective January 1, 1995, resulting in the addition, relocation, and elimination of sections as well as subject matter. For amendments to this title prior to 1994, consult the Colorado statutory research explanatory note and the table itemizing the replacement volumes and supplements to the original volume of C.R.S. 1973 beginning on page vii in the front of this volume. Former C.R.S. section numbers are shown in editor's notes following those sections that were relocated. For a detailed comparison of this title, see the comparative tables located in the back of the index.

For the provisions providing for the manufacture of license plates and highway signs by state correctional facilities, see article 24 of title 17; for registration and use of snowmobiles, see article 14 of title 33; for the regulation of commercial driving schools, see article 2 of this title; for provisions relating to highway safety, see article 5 of title 43; for licensing and regulation of automobile dealers, see part 1 of article 20 of title 44; for the antimonopoly financing law, see part 2 of article 20 of title 44; for the Sunday closing law, see part 3 of article 20 of title 44.

For exemption of members of the military forces from traffic regulation, see § 28-3-504 ; for disposition of fines and penalties under this article, see § 42-1-217 ; for crimes that involve the operation of motor vehicles, also see §§ 18-3-106 , 18-3-205 , 18-4-409 , 18-4-512 , 18-9-107 , and 18-9-114 to 18-9-116.5 .

For the penalty for class A and class B traffic infractions, see § 42-4-1701 (3)(a)(I) .

Subsection (6) of this section not exception to § 42-4-103(2) . The words “while moving”, used in subsection (6), do not connote any particular place and do not give rise to an exception to the application of this article to streets and highways under § 42-4-103(2) . Bravo v. Wareham, 43 Colo. App. 1, 605 P.2d 58 .

Submission of question of obstructed vision to jury. In an automobile accident case there would be no error in submitting to the jury a question of obstructed vision caused by the substitution of cardboard for a broken window-glass in the care of plaintiff, if proper instructions on the subject were given. Potts v. Bird, 93 Colo. 547 , 27 P.2d 745 (1933).

An air freshener hanging from rearview mirror not an automatic violation of subsection (4). The air freshener must actually obstruct the driver's vision to be a violation. People v. Arias, 159 P.3d 134 (Colo. 2007).