Question

Difficulty: HardExtreme Weather Driving (High Winds, Dust Storms, Intense Heat)

When pulled off the highway and parked on the shoulder during a severe zero-visibility dust storm, a driver should leave their headlights and hazard lights turned on so that following traffic can locate the shoulder.

Answer: Answer

Answer

The statement is false. All vehicle lights must be switched off once safely parked off the roadway in a dust storm to prevent trailing drivers from following the lights and striking the stopped vehicle.
The correct evaluation is false because leaving headlights, tail lights, or hazard lights illuminated while stopped on the shoulder during a severe dust storm creates a critical hazard. Blinded motorists tend to follow light sources, assuming they mark the lane ahead, which leads to rear-end collisions with parked cars. State DMV handbooks explicitly require drivers to pull completely off the roadway, stop, turn off all lights, set the parking brake, and release the foot brake.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the hazard condition and driver psychological tendencies in zero visibility.
Drivers engulfed in dense dust storms naturally tend to follow visible light sources directly ahead of them.
Understanding visual behavior during extreme weather explains why standard hazard signaling produces adverse outcomes.
2
Evaluate the safety impact of keeping lights on while parked.
Leaving tail lights, headlights, or hazard lights illuminated lures trailing vehicles off the roadway into a rear-end collision.
Trailing drivers mistake stationary lights on the shoulder for moving traffic on the travel lane.
3
Recall the standardized DMV dust storm safety procedure.
Pull off the paved portion of the road completely, turn off all lights, set the emergency brake, and keep your foot off the brake pedal.
Turning off all lights removes visual targets that could guide oncoming or following traffic into your parked vehicle.

Key Concept

Dust Storm Emergency Parking and Lighting Rules
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