TITLE 49

MOTOR VEHICLES

CHAPTER 9

VEHICLE EQUIPMENT

49-953.  Display of warning devices when vehicle disabled. (1) Whenever any truck, bus, truck tractor, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is disabled upon the traveled portion or the shoulder of any highway outside of any municipality at any time when lighted lamps are required on vehicles, the driver of the vehicle shall display the following warning devices upon the highway during the time the vehicle is disabled on the highway except as provided in subsection (2):

(a)  A lighted fusee, a lighted red electric lantern or a portable red emergency reflector shall be immediately placed at the traffic side of the motor vehicle in the direction of the nearest approaching traffic.

(b)  As soon thereafter as possible, but in any event within the burning period of the fusee (15 minutes), the driver shall place three (3) liquid-burning flares (pot torches), or three (3) lighted red electric lanterns, or three (3) portable red emergency reflectors on the traveled portion of the highway in the following order:

1.  One, approximately two hundred (200) feet from the disabled vehicle in the center of the lane occupied by the vehicle and toward traffic approaching in that lane.

2.  One, approximately two hundred (200) feet in the opposite direction from the disabled vehicle and in the center of the traffic lane occupied by the vehicle.

3.  One at the traffic side of the disabled vehicle not less than ten (10) feet rearward or forward in the direction of the nearest approaching traffic. If a lighted red electric lantern or a red portable emergency reflector has been placed at the traffic side of the vehicle in accordance with paragraph 1. of this subsection, it may be used for this purpose.

(2)  Whenever any vehicle referred to in this section is disabled within five hundred (500) feet of a curve, hill crest, or other obstruction to view, the warning signal in that direction shall be placed to afford ample warning to other users of the highway, but in no case less than five hundred (500) feet from the disabled vehicle.

(3)  Whenever any vehicle of a type referred to in this section is disabled upon any portion of a divided highway during the time that lights are required, the appropriate warning devices prescribed in subsections (1) and (5) of this section shall be placed one (1) at a distance of approximately two hundred (200) feet from the vehicle in the center of the lane occupied by the stopped vehicle and in the direction of traffic approaching in that lane; one (1) at a distance of approximately one hundred (100) feet from the vehicle, in the center of the lane occupied by the vehicle and in the direction of traffic approaching in that lane; and one (1) at the traffic side of the vehicle and approximately ten (10) feet from the vehicle in the direction of the nearest approaching traffic.

(4)  Whenever any vehicle of a type referred to in this section is disabled upon the traveled portion or the shoulder of a highway outside any municipality at any time when the display of fusees, flares, red electric lanterns or portable red emergency reflectors is not required, the driver of the vehicle shall display two (2) red flags upon the highway in the lane of traffic occupied by the disabled vehicle, one (1) at a distance of approximately two hundred (200) feet in advance of the vehicle, and one (1) at a distance of approximately two hundred (200) feet to the rear of the vehicle.

(5)  Whenever any motor vehicle used in the transportation of explosives or any cargo tank truck used for the transportation of any flammable liquid or compressed flammable gas, or any motor vehicle using compressed gas as a fuel, is disabled upon a highway at any time or place mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, the driver of the vehicle shall immediately display one (1) red electric lantern or portable red emergency reflector placed on the highway at the traffic side of the vehicle, and two (2) red electric lanterns or portable red reflectors, one (1) placed approximately two hundred (200) feet to the front and one (1) placed approximately two hundred (200) feet to the rear of the disabled vehicle in the center of the traffic lane occupied by the vehicle. Flares, fusees, or signals produced by flame shall not be used as warning devices for disabled vehicles of the type mentioned in this subsection.

(6)  Flares, fusees, red electric lanterns, portable red emergency reflectors, and flags to be displayed as required in this section shall conform with the requirements of section 49-952, Idaho Code.

History:

[49-953, added 1988, ch. 265, sec. 267, p. 711; am. 1992, ch. 115, sec. 22, p. 371.]