See The Light

Flashing signals -- think school buses, police cars, and snow plows -- are commonplace on the road. The rules on how to deal with them are not.

By Jeff Inman

There had been speeding crackdowns all along the highway to St. Louis, and troopers had dozens of cars pulled over. Laura and Aaron Jacobs* were sure they'd escaped the ticket blitz -- until they saw a trooper standing in the middle of the right lane. "When there are that many speed traps and a cop is motioning to you, you figure you've done something wrong," Laura says.

The only problem: The right shoulder was crammed with cop cars and the soon-to-be-ticketed. The trooper was waving drivers over to the left. So Aaron slowed down to stop on the far shoulder. It was the wrong move. Within seconds the Jacobses were hit from behind. Luckily, the result was nothing more than a few bruises and two totaled cars.

Later, the couple learned that the officer had been trying to direct traffic around a vehicle search -- not give them a speeding ticket. "I remember the state trooper saying, 'Don't you know what the hand signals mean?' " says Laura. "Well, no, we didn't. When you're going 70 miles per hour, you can't tell the difference between 'move over' and 'pull over.' "

Which isn't a surprise. You can log months on the road without stumbling upon a traffic stop or a set of flashing lights. "There are a lot of odd situations that we're not used to dealing with when driving," says Scott Kuhne, a California-based professional race car driver and defensive driving instructor. "You don't see them every day, so you're not used to thinking about them."

If you spot flashing lights on the road, Kuhne's basic rule -- slow down and be safe -- will get you through most situations. Each, though, has its own quirks or regulations. Here's a rundown of the most common, plus tips on how to avoid ending up in your own emergency.

School rules
When kids get off the school bus, they've got SpongeBob on the brain. They're not worried about traffic, proper procedure, or making sure they stay safe. They just want a cookie and a chance to chill after a long day of long division. Which means you have to be on your game. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an average of 19 children die each year in traffic accidents before getting on or after getting off the bus. And although laws regarding the correct way to approach a slowing school bus vary from state to state -- some require you to stop the instant a bus does; others allow motorists to pass until a bus's stop sign is deployed -- Kuhne says it's always best to be cautious. There are kids involved, after all.

"If those lights are flashing, you stop, no exceptions," he advises. "Two lanes, four lanes: It doesn't matter. There's no ifs, ands, or buts."

Plow ahead
It's easier to drive with drapes on your windshield than make your way through a blizzard. The snow swirls. The road can appear nonexistent. The only hope you have are those flashing red lights on the snowplow that's coming up behind you. While a snowplow might seem like the winter version of divine intervention, it actually can lead to a new set of problems. "A snowplow driver's visibility is just as limited as yours," Kuhne says. "You can't assume they see you, especially considering how high up they are."

Your best option: Make sure your low-beam lights are on, slow down, and let the plow pass -- though that can be a bit precarious in its own right. Kuhne says plow operators are taught to work from left to right, plowing the middle of the road first, then returning for a second pass to push the snow closer to the road's edge. If you pull over to the side, you risk being buried. If you head to the left, the plow might not be able to get by. The perfect solution is to find a safe area to get out of the way that won't be overrun by the plow's wake. But that can be difficult when visibility is low. If you can't get out of the way safely, make sure the plow driver sees you, and let the driver make the first move.

And if for some reason you're the one passing the plow: "Give it room and don't fly by," Kuhne says. "Work with the conditions." And never pass on the right. A little caution is better than a spin-out right in front of a truck with a giant blade.

Men at work
Those fluorescent orange or green vests are not a fashion statement. Construction workers know that a splash of color, along with a few flashing lights and those massive cones, could be the thing that saves their lives -- especially if they're repairing a road next to oncoming traffic. In 2006, there were 372 fatal incidents involving highway construction workers -- that's roughly one a day. And according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, a highway worker or motorist is killed in a construction zone every eight hours.

The reasons vary, but more often than not, the driver didn't slow down. Construction zone speed limits aren't meant to make you lose time; slower speeds reduce braking time and give you a few extra milliseconds to react. Many states have enacted "Give 'em a brake" laws that require motorists to slow down when passing construction zones or face increased fines. Even if there aren't posted signs, it's best to ease up and steer wide when you see fluorescent orange, yellow, or green.

Left of center
Being pulled over is about as much fun as doing your taxes. For police officers, though, traffic stops can be life-threatening. According to numbers compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 151 officers were struck and killed by passing traffic from 1997 to 2006. In 2007 alone, another 16 were added.

In response, most states have now enacted "Move Over" laws that drivers must follow when approaching cops and other emergency personnel. In Texas, for example, drivers must vacate the lane closest to the stopped emergency vehicle if the road has multiple lanes traveling in the same direction, or reduce their speed by 20 mph. While there's no standard law, always play it safe: Take your foot off the gas, move left, and let the folks in blue do their jobs safely.

In memoriam
Although a funeral procession may be moving with all the speed of a snail on slow-mo, it's doing so with reverence. "I never try to pass a funeral," says Aaron Gold, About.com's resident car expert. Whizzing by so you can make sure you're not late for Pilates is just bad form. Worse yet, it's dangerous. "If the procession is on a two-lane road, you don't even try it," Gold says. "You don't know how many cars there are." What looks like a string of four cars can really be 40. Patience is the only option.

In fact, that applies to every situation regarding funerals. While there are no laws governing the proper interaction with processions, etiquette alone says to back off. If you're waiting at an intersection and a funeral starts to cross in front of you, stay put -- even if you have the green. If you're trying to make a turn, let the procession pass first. And while a four-lane highway does allow you to pass the motorcade safely, do so with a bit of decorum.

Siren song
Ambulances and fire trucks are loud enough to drown out your howling along to the radio for a reason: to tell you to get out of the way. And most people dutifully slow down or stop. They just don't always clear the lane. "I see ambulances stuck in intersections because people just sit there," Kuhne says. One car can clog an entire intersection. Nothing can get through. "They think they can't move because of the siren, but they need to let the ambulance by," he says.

Kuhne's advice: If you happen to be in or near an intersection when an emergency vehicle either comes up behind you or is headed in your direction, drive through that intersection before you pull over. It allows the open path necessary and keeps you in the clear.

"And when the ambulance or fire truck goes by, wait," Kuhne adds. Sirens can blend together easily in the din. Other emergency vehicles might be coming right behind the first. A few extra seconds will allow you to check your mirrors and look over your shoulder to see whether you need to stick tight or it's safe to go back to ruining the classics.

*The names of those involved have been changed on request.

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