Recently in the North East we have had 3 back to back snow storms.  These storms have knocked out power all over the place.  I was without power for 6 days and so was my town.  This got me thinking; who has the right of way during a black out?

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I thought back to drivers ed the first day I ventured out.  It was terrifying.  Everyone seemed to think that they had the right of way.  People weren’t following traffic laws at all!  I remembered that they taught us that is a traffic light isn’t working that you have to treat it as a 4 WAY STOP SIGN! I wish the other cars on the road had remembered that.

Near miss after near miss and an occasional accident, I was thankful that I didn’t have the kids in the car.  Intersection after intersection I watched people fight to get through.  People honked at me when I stopped at the lights as if it were  a stop sign.

So what are the rules exactly?  Well I’m glad you asked.

New York State law requires all drivers to stop at the intersection and proceed only when other turning and approaching vehicles, bicycles, or pedestrians have stopped.

VAT § 1117. Traffic-control signals; malfunction Except when directed to proceed by a police officer, every operator of a motor vehicle approaching an intersection governed by a traffic-control signal which is out of service or otherwise malfunctioning shall stop in the manner required for stop signs set forth in section eleven hundred seventy-two of this title, and proceed according to the rules of right of way for vehicles set forth in article twenty-six of this title

There you have it.  The next time the power goes out and you have to drive you will know what to do! So stay tuned to this blog spot for more info! As always, DRIVE SAFE!