Caught Driving in a Dust Storm? Experts Say DO THIS!

Were you caught in the dust storm today? Experts warn that most people do the exact opposite of what they should do when they suddenly can't see.

How to Stay Safe When Caught in a Dust Storm

When you are caught in a dust storm on the highway, the rules are counterintuitive, and knowing them before it happens could save your life.

What is the first thing you do when caught driving when you can't see?

Step One- Get Off the Road Immediately and Completely

The moment you see a dust storm approaching, do not wait for visibility to drop before you act.

By the time you cannot see, it is already too late to make safe decisions.

Slow down immediately and look for the nearest highway exit; if one is coming up, take it and find a parking lot.

If no exit is available, pull as far to the right as physically possible.

Get completely off the pavement if you can, onto dirt or grass beyond the shoulder. The further from the travel lanes, the better. Distance between you and moving traffic is the most important factor in your survival.

Step Two- Turn Off Every Single Light on Your Vehicle

This is the part that surprises most drivers, and it is the most important rule of all.

Once you are stopped, turn off your headlights, taillights, and emergency hazard flashers. All of them. Completely dark.

In near-zero visibility, other drivers are following any light source they can see, assuming those lights represent moving traffic they should follow.

If your hazards are flashing while you are stopped, a driver behind you will follow those lights directly into the back of your stationary vehicle at highway speed.

Take your foot completely off the brake pedal too. Put the car in park and set the emergency brake so your brake lights do not activate accidentally.

Step Three- Stay Inside and Wait It Out

Keep your seatbelt on and stay in the vehicle. Dust storms move fast and bring dangerous winds and airborne debris, making it hazardous to be outside. Set your climate control to recirculate so the system doesn't draw heavy dust and debris into the cabin while you wait.

Dust storms typically pass. Your job is to be invisible and stationary until they do.

If You Absolutely Cannot Pull Over

Sometimes there is no safe place to exit the road. If you are trapped on the highway, the National Weather Service recommends slowing to a speed appropriate for your visibility level and keeping headlights on so you can see road markings.

Use the painted center line as a visual guide to stay in your lane. Sound your horn occasionally to alert nearby drivers to your location and keep looking for the first safe opportunity to get completely off the road.

What happened today around the Tri-Cities is a reminder that dust storms are a real and recurring danger in eastern Washington.

Know these rules before you need them.