§ 22-408. Display of warning devices when vehicle disabled

   (a) Placing of reflectors, lights, etc., generally. -- Whenever any truck, passenger bus, truck tractor, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer, or any motor vehicle towing a mobile home is disabled on the roadway or shoulder of any highway outside of any municipal corporation at any time when lighted lamps are required on vehicles, the driver of the vehicle shall display the following warning devices on the highway during the time the vehicle is so disabled on the highway, except as provided in subsection (b), (c) or (e) of this section:

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

   (2) As soon thereafter as possible, but in any event within 15 minutes or before any fusee used for this purpose burns out, whichever occurs first, the driver shall place three liquid-burning flares (pot torches), three lighted red electric lanterns, or three portable red emergency reflectors on the roadway of the highway in the following order:

      (i) One, approximately 100 feet from the disabled vehicle in the center of the lane occupied by the vehicle and toward traffic approaching in that lane;

      (ii) One, approximately 100 feet in the opposite direction from the disabled vehicle and in the center of the traffic lane occupied by the vehicle; and

      (iii) One, at the traffic side of the disabled vehicle not less than 10 feet rearward or forward of it in the direction of the nearest approaching traffic, except that, 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.

(b) Placing of warning signals when vehicle disabled near curve, hillcrest, etc. -- Whenever any vehicle of a type referred to in this section is disabled within 500 feet of a curve, hillcrest, 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 100 feet or more than 500 feet from the disabled vehicle.

(c) Placing of warning signals when vehicle disabled on divided highway. -- Whenever any vehicle of a type referred to in this section is disabled on any roadway of a divided highway during the time lights are required, the appropriate warning devices prescribed in subsections (a) and (e) of this section shall be placed as follows:

   (1) One at a distance of approximately 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;

   (2) One at a distance of approximately 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

   (3) One at the traffic side of the vehicle and approximately 10 feet from the vehicle in the direction of the nearest approaching traffic.

(d) Placing of flags when reflectors, lights, etc., not required. -- Whenever any vehicle of a type referred to in this section is disabled on the roadway or shoulder of any highway outside of any municipal corporation 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 red flags on the roadway in the lane of traffic occupied by the disabled vehicle, one at a distance of approximately 100 feet in advance of the vehicle and one at a distance of approximately 100 feet to the rear of the vehicle.

(e) Placing of warning signals where disabled vehicle is used in transportation of explosives, etc. --

   (1) Whenever any motor vehicle used to carry explosives or any cargo tank truck used to carry any flammable liquid or compressed flammable gas, or any motor vehicle using compressed gas as a fuel, is disabled on a highway in this State at any time or place mentioned in subsection (a) of this section, the driver of the vehicle shall immediately display the following warning devices:

      (i) One red electric lantern or portable red emergency reflector, placed on the roadway at the traffic side of the vehicle; and

      (ii) Two red electric lanterns or portable red reflectors, one placed approximately 100 feet to the front and one placed approximately 100 feet to the rear of this disabled vehicle, in the center of the traffic lane occupied by the vehicle.

   (2) Flares, fusees, or signals produced by flame may not be used as warning devices for disabled vehicles of the type mentioned in this subsection.

(f) Warning signals to comply with § 22-407. -- The 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 § 22-407 of this subtitle applicable to them.

HISTORY: An. Code 1957, art. 66 1/2, § 12-408; 1977, ch. 14, § 2; 1988, ch. 6, § 1; 1989, ch. 5, § 1; 1991, ch. 82.