AZ dust

bearvy wrote:

TucsonJim wrote:
Folks - I know a lot of full timers head towards Arizona this time of the year for our (mostly) wonderful weather. But once in a while a front comes through that whips up wind that is strong enough to cause one of these dust storms. If you see one ahead of you, the DPS suggests that you slow down, pull off the highway, come to a complete stop and turn off your lights (make sure you don't leave your foot on the brake pedal). If you wait until you're already in the dust to take action, it's too late.

I've experienced these dust storms, and visibility can actually be so bad that you literally can't see the hood of your vehicle.

Why is it recommended to "turn off your lights"?

Thanks...just wondered.

Good question! They want you to turn off your lights because it may cause another driver to follow your vehicle thinking your are still on the road and still in motion. That's also the reason for taking your foot off the brake pedal so your brake lights aren't on.

As for the comment that they'd been predicting the storms for a couple of days.... That's true. But they can't pinpoint the specific area they'll hit or the exact time. In addition, we get these warnings many times a year, and most of the time nothing happens. So if you need to get on the road for any reason, you just need to be aware and know what to do if you encounter these conditions.

Here is a link to "Pull Aside - Stay Alive". Check out the video on the opening page to see how massive and fast these things move.
Pull Aside - Stay Alive