Was I Wrong? Driving with hazard lights on

[DougK62]

Just google ntsb and hazard lights. You will see investigation after investigation where it was vehicles using their hazard lights that stopped the accident/pile up from getting even worse. Think safety people, put on your hazards if visibility is low.

www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/1995/H95_50.pdf

That's a fair link, but what would have happened if when it got really bad people put their hazards on, pulled off of the road, and stopped? Possibly a disaster averted.

There are good reasons mentioned in this thread why states prohibit the use of hazards on moving vehicles, and they're really hard to deny - they're much more convincing than the reasons in defense of using the hazard lights, IMO.

 

[Cal166]

The traffic lights in many states has the blinking yellow lights in early mornings. What does that mean? SLOW DOWN and be Cautious. Whoever said hazard lights means STOP are just wrong, that's what a RED tail light is for.

 

[DougK62]

The traffic lights in many states has the blinking yellow lights in early mornings. What does that mean? SLOW DOWN and be Cautious. Whoever said hazard lights means STOP are just wrong, that's what a RED tail light is for.

LOL, that's a good one. You do realize that MANY cars have RED hazard lights in back, right?

 

[brblx]

Bullcrap. It's a safety measure to drive with your hazards on in low visibility. It's to make sure you see me and I see you. If you don't drive in low vis without them on you are an idiot and unsafe driver and most likely shouldn't be driving.

bolded for absolute correctness. keep your logic fail in P&N.

 

[dainthomas]

Negative. Hazard lights have been proven to be visible over 2 times farther than brake/tail lights. That could mean the difference between a huge pile up and a non-event. Use your hazard lights so people can see you.

That's a very persuasive argument. Since I always want to be seen, I will now drive with them on all the time.

 

[Cal166]

LOL, that's a good one. You do realize that MANY cars have RED hazard lights in back, right?

I haven't driven a car newer than 2006.

WTH they changed the standards?

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I haven't driven a car newer than 2006.

WTH they changed the standards?

Red tail lights have been common in the US for almost a century now if not over.

 

[DougK62]

I haven't driven a car newer than 2006.

So? I've owned about 15 cars since I've started driving, none of them newer than 2002, and I can only recall four that had amber turn/hazard lights in back. Check out the road on your way home from school today.

 

[brblx]

That's a very persuasive argument. Since I always want to be seen, I will now drive with them on all the time.

his penchant for posting made-up arguments and logical fallacy probably shouldn't be the basis for your personal habits. again, this is why he should stay under the troll bridge- outside of P&N, there's no brainwashed rabble to instinctively back him up and he just comes off as even more full of crap (which i had previously thought not possible).

 

[guyver01]

What was the rest of the drivers on the road doing?

If you were the only one "paranoid" and afraid of driving, and slowed down to 10mph and put your hazards on.. then you shoulda gotten off the first exist.. pulled over into a parking spot.. and called mommy to pick you up.

You were creating an unsafe driving condition.

 

[Cal166]

So? I've owned about 15 cars since I've started driving, none of them newer than 2002, and I can only recall four that had amber turn/hazard lights in back. Check out the road on your way home from school today.

What? Isn't majority of the cars in the US has the amber lights as Turn/Hazard. you saw only 4?

 

[Capt Caveman]

That's a very persuasive argument. Since I always want to be seen, I will now drive with them on all the time.

If you ever driven in thick fog or downpouring rain, visibility can be decreased dramatically. Most people slow down in these conditions but you always have a few that don't. The decreased visibility will also decrease the amount of stopping distance between vehicles. Using hazards will increase one's visibility and hopefully prevent a rear-end collision.

OP - I probably would have done the same thing.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

Hazards are distracting as hell and then people start rubber necking because they think someones either a douche bag or someone's dying. Just get the hell off the road if you can't drive.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

What? Isn't majority of the cars in the US has the amber lights as Turn/Hazard. you saw only 4?

He said he only owned four. And a majority DON'T have amber on the rear these days.

 

[DougK62]

What? Isn't majority of the cars in the US has the amber lights as Turn/Hazard. you saw only 4?

I hope English isn't your first language.

 

[brblx]

the majority of cars have dual filament bulbs, which are both tail lights and turn signals. since amber tails would be illegal, most cars now have red turns.

edit: even when they were seperate, most rear turns were red. but now it's pretty much impossible to have otherwise.

 

[Cal166]

Hazards are distracting as hell and then people start rubber necking because they think someones either a douche bag or someone's dying. Just get the hell off the road if you can't drive.

So you are saying it's distracting meaning others can see me easily from further away? Good! I do it because I want to be a safe driver for the people in my car and others on the road, not because I can't drive.

 

[spidey07]

Google is your friend. It greatly increases the distance where others can see you. Be safe in low visibility or inclement conditions. In heavy rain sometimes you can't see cars 20-30 feet in front of you.

http://fulltimerver.com/when-do-you-use-hazard-flashers/

What about in fog? The National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) found that in daytime fog conditions, just running tail lights isn’t enough to give folks behind a good warning–in fact, turning on tail lights gives no more visibility than if they were turned off. However, the NTSB found that even the lowest rated hazard flashers could increase visibility. For example, if you’re driving in fog where your rig could be seen 300′ to the rear, by turning on your hazard flashers you could be seen 450′–this with the least of the light emitting hazard flashers. It seems to make sense that using hazard flashers when moving slow, or when obscured by weather just makes sense.

 

[MJinZ]

If you ever driven in thick fog or downpouring rain, visibility can be decreased dramatically. Most people slow down in these conditions but you always have a few that don't. The decreased visibility will also decrease the amount of stopping distance between vehicles. Using hazards will increase one's visibility and hopefully prevent a rear-end collision.

OP - I probably would have done the same thing.

People say it with me - THAT'S WHAT FUCKING TAIL LIGHTS ARE FOR. Visibility is also reduced in... oh I don't know... the FUCKING dark of NIGHT-TIME. I hope to FUCKING GOD you are not using your hazards at NIGHT.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

So you are saying it's distracting meaning others can see me easily from further away? Good! I do it because I want to be a safe driver for the people in my car and others on the road, not because I can't drive.

I'm saying it's distracting in the way it causes people to do stupid shit like slam on their brakes so they can take a look at your dumb ass. Oh snap let me look at this douche bag with his hazards on.

 

[Gooberlx2]

If I'm driving substantially slower than the posted speed limit I'll flip 'em on. Seems like everyone does that here (same when I lived in Florida). Same goes for when they're towing/hauling shit and have to drive slow.

 

[DougK62]

Google is your friend. It greatly increases the distance where others can see you. Be safe in low visibility or inclement conditions. In heavy rain sometimes you can't see cars 20-30 feet in front of you.

http://fulltimerver.com/when-do-you-use-hazard-flashers/

I don't know why you think this is so revealing. Hazard lights are brighter than your standard taillights and always have been, AFAIK. This is no revelation, and no one is contesting it. This does nothing to discount the very valid reasons for NOT using hazard lights on the road, which have already been mentioned.

It would also make me more visible if I were to shine a fishing spotlight out the back of my car during a fog, but that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

If I'm driving substantially slower than the posted speed limit I'll flip 'em on. Seems like everyone does that here (same when I lived in Florida). Same goes for when they're towing/hauling shit and have to drive slow.

Man some minivan was carrying flattened boxes tied to it's roof last night with it's hazards on and then they go flying off into the truck behind it on some off ramp. I don't even know what I could even do in that situation when I'm on my bike. It's like I can carry this crap in an unsafe manner because I have my hazards on.

 

[spidey07]

I don't know why you think this is so revealing. Hazard lights are brighter than your standard taillights and always have been, AFAIK. This is no revelation, and no one is contesting it. This does nothing to discount the very valid reasons for NOT using hazard lights on the road, which have already been mentioned.

It would also make me more visible if I were to shine a fishing spotlight out the back of my car during a fog, but that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

I haven't seen a good reason against it yet except from folks who apparently don't know how to handle HAZARDous driving conditions. In HAZARDous driving conditions there will be cars with HAZARD lights on to increase their visibility and try to prevent accidents. These people know how to deal with hazardous conditions and are to be commended for their driving knowledge and situational awareness.

 

[Capt Caveman]

People say it with me - THAT'S WHAT FUCKING TAIL LIGHTS ARE FOR. Visibility is also reduced in... oh I don't know... the FUCKING dark of NIGHT-TIME. I hope to FUCKING GOD you are not using your hazards at NIGHT.

Blinking hazards provide more visibility than tail lights, especially at night in fog or downpour rain. Put two cars next to one another, one with hazards and one with just their tail lights on. You'll notice the car with the hazards much sooner.

I've driven in dense fog to blizzard snow conditions at night. Those times, you might have a car's length of visibility. With hazards on, I'll be able to see a car sooner and be able to react accordingly.

Even when riding my bike at night, I'll set my tail light to flashing as it's more visible and noticeable.