(a) No person shall operate any motor truck, passenger bus, road tractor or truck tractor upon any highway outside the corporate limits of municipalities at any time from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise unless there shall be carried in such vehicle the following equipment except as provided in subsection (b):
(1) At least three flares or three red electric lanterns each of which shall be capable of being seen and distinguished at a distance of five hundred feet under normal atmospheric conditions at nighttime.