Section 66-3-853 - Emergency signals; disabled vehicle. - New Mexico Statutes

66-3-853. Emergency signals; disabled vehicle.

Whenever any motor vehicle is disabled upon the traveled portion of any highway or the shoulder thereof, when lighted lamps are required, except in cities, towns and villages where there is sufficient highway lighting to make it clearly discernible to persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance of five hundred feet, the following requirements shall be observed:   

A.     the driver of such vehicle shall immediately place on the traveled portion of the highway at the traffic side of the disabled vehicle, a lighted fusee and a lighted red electric lantern, or a red emergency reflector;   

B.     except as provided in Subsections C and D of this section, as soon thereafter as possible, but in any event within the burning period of the fusee, the driver shall place three liquid-burning flares or pot torches, or three red emergency reflectors on the traveled portion of the highway in the following order:   

(1)     one at a distance of approximately one hundred feet from the disabled vehicle in the center of the traffic lane occupied by such vehicle and toward traffic approaching in that lane;   

(2)     one at a distance of approximately one hundred feet in the opposite direction from the disabled vehicle in the center of the traffic lane occupied by such vehicle; and   

(3)     one at the traffic side of the disabled vehicle, not less than ten feet to the front or rear thereof. If a red electric lantern or red emergency reflector has been placed on the traffic side of the vehicle in accordance with Subsection A of this section, it may be used for this purpose;   

C.     if disablement of any motor vehicle shall occur within five hundred feet of a curve, crest of a hill or other obstruction to view, the driver shall so place the warning signal in that direction as to afford ample warning to other users of the highway, but in no case less than one hundred feet nor more than five hundred feet from the disabled vehicle; and   

D.     if gasoline or any other flammable or combustible liquid or gas seeps or leaks from a fuel container of a motor vehicle disabled or otherwise stopped upon a highway, no emergency warning signal producing a flame shall be lighted or placed except at such a distance from any such liquid or gas as will assure the prevention of a fire or explosion.