In the days following a major storm, power outages can make for deadly scenes on roadways across South Florida as drivers do not obey the laws of the road when traffic lights are out.
State law says motorists must treat an intersection where a light is out as a four way stop. Under the rules of the State Uniform Traffic Control, the first driver to arrive at the intersection has the right of way and gets to proceed first.
If two or more vehicles arrive at the same time, the driver to the left must always yield the way to the driver at their right.
Drivers are also required to stop at the clearly marked line or crosswalk when approaching an intersection without a working light. That rule can change if a officer or traffic control person is at the scene.
A 2013 statistic from the Federal Highway Administration showed more than 7,000 people a year die in American due to weather related traffic crashes.
