(a) No person shall operate any vehicle having a width in any part in excess of 80 inches or a gross weight of vehicle and load of 8,000 pounds or more upon the highways of this State outside of a business or residential district during the period when lighted lamps must be displayed on vehicles, unless there shall be carried in such vehicle at least 3 flares, or 3 red electric lanterns or 3 portable red emergency reflectors capable of being distinguished at a distance of not less than 600 feet under normal atmospheric conditions at night.
(b) Whenever any vehicle described in subsection (a) of this section or its lighting equipment is disabled during the period when lighted lamps must be displayed and such vehicle cannot immediately be removed from the main traveled portion of a highway outside of a business or residential district, the driver or other person in charge of such vehicle shall cause flares, lanterns or reflectors to be lighted and placed upon the highway, 1 at a distance of approximately 100 feet in advance of such vehicle, 1 at a distance of approximately 100 feet to the rear of the vehicle and the third upon the roadway alongside of the vehicle. If the vehicle is transporting flammables, 3 red reflectors shall be so placed so as to afford a warning of the presence of the vehicle on the highway in lieu of such other signals and no open burning flare shall be placed adjacent to any such vehicle.