Photo: Ms. Phoenix from Phoenix, Arizona, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you see a dust storm ahead in Arizona, ADOT’s rule is “Pull Aside, Stay Alive”: do not drive into it. Exit the highway or pull completely off the road, turn off all your lights, set the parking brake, take your foot off the brake and wait with your seat belt on. This explainer is for new Arizona drivers who have never met a monsoon dust storm (haboob) from behind the wheel.
Pull Aside, Stay Alive: the steps
- Do not drive into the storm. If you see dust ahead, exit the highway early if you can.
- Act before visibility drops. Do not wait until it is hard to see the edge of the road.
- Check traffic around you and slow down.
- Pull completely off the paved road. Do not stop in a travel lane. ADOT says not to stop on the shoulder either if you can get fully off the pavement.
- Turn off all lights: headlights, emergency flashers and dome lights.
- Set the parking brake and take your foot off the brake pedal.
- Stay buckled up and wait for the storm to pass.
Why turn your lights off in a dust storm?
It feels wrong, but ADOT explains that drivers behind you, who cannot see the road, may follow your lights. If your car is parked off the road with its lights on, they can steer toward you and hit it. With lights off and your foot off the brake (so the brake lights are dark), nobody mistakes your parked car for a moving one to follow.
Older advice was to keep lights on after pulling over. The current ADOT advice is lights off.
If you cannot pull off the road
Sometimes there is nowhere to go. ADOT’s guidance for that case:
- Keep your lights on (you are still moving, so others need to see you).
- Slow to a speed that fits the limited visibility.
- Use the painted lane lines as a guide.
- Sound your horn now and then.
- Never stop in a travel lane.
- Look for the first safe place to exit or pull fully off, then follow the steps above.
Lights on or off? Quick reference
| Situation | Lights |
|---|---|
| Parked completely off the road, waiting | All off, foot off the brake |
| Still driving, cannot pull off yet | On |
When are dust storms most likely in Arizona?
During the summer monsoon. ADOT runs its Pull Aside, Stay Alive campaign every year ahead of the season. Check forecasts and ADOT’s traffic alerts before long summer drives, especially on desert stretches of interstate.
Practice it before you need it
- With your supervisor, talk through the steps on a calm day, so they are automatic.
- Notice where exits and wide pull-offs are on routes you drive often.
- Know where your parking brake and hazard light switch are without looking.
Other weather conditions: driving in snow, fog and rain.
Common questions
Should you use hazard lights in a dust storm?
Not once you have pulled off and stopped. ADOT says turn off emergency flashers too.
Is it safe to stop on the shoulder?
ADOT says pull completely off the paved road where possible, not on the shoulder or in a lane.
Should I get out of the car?
No. ADOT says stay buckled up inside and wait for the storm to pass.
Why take my foot off the brake?
So your brake lights go dark. Lit brake lights can lead other drivers toward you.
Will dust storms be on the Arizona permit test?
Weather and emergency driving are part of the Arizona Driver License Manual, which the test is drawn from. Know the steps.
Related guides
- Learning to drive in Arizona: the full guide
- Arizona 30-hour supervised driving log
- Freeway driving for new drivers
- What to do after a car crash
Sources
- Arizona Department of Transportation, “Dust Storms: Pull Aside, Stay Alive” (azdot.gov)
- Arizona Department of Transportation, “Why you should turn off your vehicle’s lights when pulling aside for dust” (azdot.gov)
- Arizona Department of Transportation, “When dust storms hit, Pull Aside, Stay Alive” (azdot.gov)
- Arizona Department of Transportation, “Dusty Roads” (azdot.gov)