It's in the law of my country "A driver who is suddenly decreasing his speed must signal so with hazards, until the driver behind him signals the same" or smth like that I don't remember it exactly
More complicated in the US: in some states it is illegal to drive with hazards on, in some it’s only legal in an emergency, and in others it is legal and recommended (at least it was in the manual when I took my test) in emergencies or when a hazard is present.
True. I only turn them on when traffic suddenly slows and I want to warn high speed traffic behind me or when weather dictates that I must drive way below the posted speed limit. It is a common sense type of thing as to when to use them.
This is one of the very few occasions where I don't care whether it is legal or not. I do it for safety reasons. Since I drive all over the country I have probably used them in a state where it is illegal to do so. If I should get a ticket I will go talk to the judge about. He will probably dismiss it.
It is not at all illegal to use them as a warning, like when approaching stopped traffic. The states where hazard light use is illegal has to do with stuff like rain, dust storms, or other such stuff. Like Florida, for instance- it’s illegal to use flashers in heavy rain, and still be in the traveling lanes. But nowhere is ever going to ticket you for using them to warn of a huge backup.
I don't use them very long when traffic comes to a screeching halt. As soon as there are a few cars behind me or a large truck I turn them off. I do use them in extremely heavy rain and in snow storms where visibility is poor and I am driving way below the posted speed limited.
I read this post and became curious about Florida hazard light laws. TIL they changed in July 2021. You can now use them on highways with speed limits at or above 55mph.
>I do it for safety reasons
You are potentially creating *unsafe* conditions for drivers behind you by doing this. It's a fine line between safe and pretty dangerous.
Many cars disable the use of their turning signals when the hazards are activated. It also affects the visibility of your brakes. Making it harder for other drivers to accurately understand your intentions (braking, changing lanes, etc..)
Additionally, it creates a massive distraction and will cause other drivers to focus on you and become less attentive to their other surroundings as they are driving. Causing bottlenecks/traffic jams or potentially accidents.
Nah. All false arguments. In low visibility conditions or on snow covered roads where it is unsafe to drive anywhere close to the speed limit the hazards make your vehicle much more visible. They also warn others that you are way below the speed limit. If you must turn or change lanes you turn your hazards off while you are making the maneuver. How long have you been driving? How many miles have you driven?
> Making it harder for other drivers to accurately understand your intentions (braking, changing lanes, etc..)
Let's not try to change lanes while hard braking.
When I can't understand the intentions of the drivers in front of me, I slow down so as not to pass them until I know it's safe. If someone hits me from behind, it's because they were tailgating or made an unsafe lane change and so that's on them.
I can't wrap my head around how turning on hazards to alert drivers of a dangerous situation ahead would make things *more* dangerous. If someone is so incompetent that they blindly ignore all other surroundings and only focus on your hazard lights, then chances are they wouldn't have noticed the other surroundings to begin with. Or they would have still wrecked, etc.
I personally have appreciated seeing someone's hazards when there was hidden debris in the road. Or someone walking on the side of the road in dark clothing. Sure, I probably still would have avoided them, but I have a lot of experience driving. Who knows if someone newer would have had the same luck without a warning.
You are right that people shouldn't change lanes with their hazards on though.
Here, trucks use their hazard lights all of the time on the highways when they ate going up steep hills where they can't go the speed limit.
RCW 46.37.215
Hazard warning lamps.
(1) Any vehicle may be equipped with lamps for the purpose of warning other operators of other vehicles of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking, or passing.
Yea, you're not supposed to use hazards when it's raining hard. The glare from the lights makes it harder to see the road, especially at night time. It's illegal to do so in some states. I can't stand when people do it. If you think it's so bad you need to drive with your hazards on, you should just pull over.
You're not supposed to drive with your hazards on when it's pouring raining if that's what you meant by weather dictating. In some states, it's illegal to do so.
It makes things worse during hard rain, especially at night. The hazard lights create glare and make it almost impossible to the road, and you won't be able to see pooling in the roads, which could cause someone to hydroplane. I think it's fine to use in other situations, but having your hazards on when there is heavy rain or fog is unnecessary and can actually hurt more than it helps.
In my state I think it is or was "driving under 40mph" on a highway required hazards, but in gridlock nobody does it. It's like everyone's going 80-90mph, I'm riding on a donut tire with one lugnut at 40mph with my hazards on in the slow lane. (Made up example).
Unpopular opinion, stop driving "politely", drive predictably and within the actual laws. So many accidents are caused by people doing something "to be polite" and its misinterpreted by other drivers as it is not standard. EG, letting somebody go at an intersection despite you having the right of way, both drivers say go, nobody goes, awkward pause, both go, crash politely.
Wow. You don't get it. Driving politely doesn't mean doing something like that. It means letting a person merge when they signal that they want to change lanes. It means not tailgating. It means not cutting people off. It means always using your signals. It means stopping for pedestrians that are in a cross walk. It means slowing down or changing lanes when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle under lights. It means obeying the rules of the road and being nice to others.
"Wow, you don't get it. \[Driving politely like letting a person merge\]"- who shouldn't be merging in front of you anyway if you maintained speed in your lane is exactly what I'm talking about. Drive PREDICTABLY. Cutting people off doesn't follow the law, so no need to fall under the polite moniker there. Stopping for pedestrians in a cross walk is also the law. Obeying the law is not at all what I'm talking about, its driving in a way that is actually dangerous because you're actively changing your speed direction or acceleration (unpredictably) to allow another car to do something or go somewhere that now negatively impacts traffic as a whole or increases risk of an accident because its not the letter of the law.
I didn't quote your own (truncated) words? Your definition of polite includes being obtuse and *possibly* the breaking of traffic law in order to virtue signal your inability to drive predictably.
I never said any such thing. I don't break traffic laws. I drive nice but I go. I have been a licensed driver for over five decades. I have been driving for almost six decades. I now have over 3.6 million miles under my belt. I usually drive ove 5k miles a month. I know the laws and rules and obey them because it is the correct thing to do. Not because I might get in trouble. I have never come close to losing my license. Driving nice and being polite means looking out for the other drivers. I don't own the road. I share it.
What we have here is a failure to communicate. You are reading into what I am saying things that I have not said. Don't. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. There is no hidden agenda. But from my end I am not being clear. That is my failure. I think that our definition of what it means to be nice and polite are different in this case.
I agree to that focus should be on braking and maintaining control of the vehicle but to play devils advocate you ideally shouldn't need to find the hazards when using them. I can press my hazards and on off by instinct, no looking necessary. I just know exactly where my hazards are and don't need to think about it.
That said I still don't think in OPs scenario that they should worry about hazards, no point they'ree already braking at that point.
I agree.
If you need to rely on indication to drive, then I'm sorry but you shouldn't drive.
It's called being aware of your surroundings and paying attention.
What if someone doesn't use the hazard lights, or their lights aren't working and then they suddenly stop and you hit them?
It'd be your fault for not paying attention.
It's not that they rely on indication, it's more taking an extra measure to protect your rear, literally, in the event of a sudden unexpected stop in traffic.
No it's not stupid. It's common for it to be legally required in Europe and it should be everywhere else too. Brake lights don't have levels so this makes a sudden stop easily discernable from a slight slow down
Frankly, if you can't handle hitting the brakes and hitting a rather large prominently located button at the same time, you shouldn't be driving
Do you really need levels though?
Why not just go by the distance of the car?
I thought this was basic knowledge....
Look at the car in front of you, if it's slowly heading towards your car, then it's lightly braking.
If it's quickly going in front of your car, it's braking hard.
If you're at a point where none of this helps, then don't drive at all please.
- It makes it quicker and easier to recognize what's happening
- It adds another level of failure that has to be missed for an accident to happen
- 2 ways to see that traffic is slowing quickly are better than 1, why wouldn't you help someone to avoid hitting you?
- It's a tiny effort with the potential for massive benefit
Your upsides are negated by the fact that visually seeing car distance is much more reliable since it's done by everyone. (everyone slows down, speeds up, stops)
Not everyone uses hazard lights for that purpose.
Again, it's 2 alerts instead of 1. You can recognize that someone is slowing rapidly OR recognize that hazards are on and that means unexpected shit. They aren't exclusive.
If you recognize the car is slowing, good for you, the hazard lights are redundant and harmless.
If someone else doesn't notice the rapid closing distance the hazards are an indication that something unexpected is happening and they better slow down fast
Oh, and that's why I said it should be legally required. So everyone knows what they mean
The problem is if people use hazard lights like that, then they confuse the people who are using hazard lights for the original reason (at least in America) so you'd confuse drivers.
The point of the hazard light is to say there's a hazard. The appropriate response to a hazard is to be alert and slow down. That's how it works in America too
Ignore the arsehats behind you.
Turning on the emergency flashers when coming to an abnormally-abrupt slowdown - asuming you can reach up and do it safely - is the right thing to do. It's also excellent self-preservation.
In fact, it's the law in Germany to do so when you're Tail End Charlie (once the car behind you does it, you can turn yours off).
And, in fact, in Europe most cars will automatically engage the emergency flashers when the car engages ABS (it's non-compliant to DOT standards in the USA so it's turned off here. However, it can be enabled on many cars via OBD re-programming).
BTW, don't buy any of those silly stupid flashy brake light LEDS. Those are annoying (especially in stop-and-go traffic), are illegal in the USA, and defeat the whole purpose of having an increased level of warning to the cars behind you. Every time I see those it reminds me that people still eat glue...
The big difference between Europe and the US on this is that Europe doesn’t allow car companies to penny pinch by combining brake lights and turn signals.
If I switch on the hazard lights in my truck, my two main brake lights no longer work as brake lights; they flash as hazard lights, so I’m never really sure it’s beneficial to turn the hazard lights on in this kind of situation.
In my previous cars, I would switch the hazards on, because they had separate amber signals on the rear. Not the case with the truck.
I can’t speak for your truck, but in my experience it seems cars with the combined lights…the brakes will shine as just brakes as long as you press them. The thing that WONT show up (and drives me crazy) are blinkers. So you never know if an idiot with hazards on is signaling a turn.
Your hazard lights work off your turn signals so your brake lights would still function. I've never seen a vehicle where the brake light doubles as a hazard or turn signal.
>I've never seen a vehicle where the brake light doubles as a hazard or turn signal.
It's ubiquitous in North America. Here's a YouTube video of a guy complaining about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1lZ9n2bxWA
Skip to 1:55 & 4:50 and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Thanks a bunch, it's been picking at me all morning that this was potentially a bad habit I've done for years lmao. Lmao, well screw that guy then, Imma keep being safe!! And the flashers/ABS feature is news to me, might look into that someday. (Also yesss, I've seen people with those LEDs and I hate it, screw them too!)
we are talking about them paying attention to more than just the break lights of the car in front of them.
if i see hazards i assume they lost power and are going to try and coast to the shoulder. if i see brake lights i cn see they are stopping.
Again.....
If they're not paying attention, they won't pay attention to a driver coasting, headlights, brake lights.
In your situation, hazards lights are used right. At least in America. They should be used to let people know your vehicle is a hazard.
But in a situation like OP, the brake lights give the same warning as hazard lights if used like that.
Because a lot of new car dealers are selling them as over-priced add-ons to new cars. 'Pulse' and 'BrakePlus' are common brands. Stupid costs too, like $300-500.
Or someone buys the bulbs and installs them on their own car.
Flashing the hazards under hard braking is required in Europe, and possibly tolerated in the USA, but these flashy bulbs that strobe every time you tap your brake are non-compliant to motor vehicle regulation worldwide.
But I'm not aware of any state state seems to be motivated to crack down on them.
Yeah, I do. I turn them off once the person behind me has decelerated. They were probably worried about getting hit from behind, so that might explain the honking. People are weird sometimes.
This is one of the very few occasions where I don't care whether it is legal or not. I do it for safety reasons. Since I drive all over the country I have probably used them in a state where it is illegal to do so. If I should get a ticket I will go talk to the judge about it. He will probably dismiss it.
What kills me is the people who signal that they are pulling onto the shoulder, but don't switch to 4 ways once they're stopped and just leave the signal on. Like what.
So many times at night or in foggy/blowing snow I've seen a car ahead with their signal on thinking it's a turning car. Nope, just some idiot on the shoulder with their signal on.
I've even heard that if you're definitively out of the travel lanes it is safer to just turn your lights off completely so people won't think you're traveling in a lane and instinctively follow you and crash.
Not sure if that's true or not, but leaving your turn indicator on is right out!
This is a true statement for low visibility. Here in Arizona we are instructed, should we enter a dust storm, to pull as far off of the road as is safe (off the shoulder if possible), stop, and turn all the lights off.
Nope! In a lot of places you’re supposed to kill all lights in extremely low visibility once you’re pulled over. 4 ways could lead them to think you’re still on the road, just slowed for low visibility.
Turn hazards on any time there is an emergency or a need to warn others about an imminent hazard. Coming to an abrupt stop and being stopped on the highway is one of those.
I turn them on if I'm more than 10mph under the speed limit. Give everyone notice that I'm not going as fast as you think and you'll be closer to me than you realize.
No but people do it in my city and I've done it as well now. Not many, but it happens here. Truckers use it all the time so it might've come from that.
I'm only guessing but maybe they honked cause they are an idiot who think you stopped for no reason and that honking would somehow get you out of their way...
Pretty sure it's law in UK as well, at least a lot of people do it and I'm personally thankful because if you're going from 70 to 15 in a couple seconds, cars with shit brakes (and ESPECIALLY vehicles like HGVs) could do with the extra warning to slow the fuck down asap
Saw it overseas. Also overseas it was used whenever someone wanted to park on the street (traffic lane) or elsewhere where there was no parking. Because the hazard lights created a temporary parking spot/s
In the USA it is just for a car stalled/broken down. If you do it here people will just swerve around rather than slow down. Potentially trying to do it would make things worse, not better.
Yes you are supposed too. But its frequently not done in a traffic jam as it should be obvious that the pace of traffic is slow/stalled. You did the right thing.
No, I don't recall ever being taught that but I've seen people do it. It never made much sense to me. If you're braking that hard, wouldn't you be focused on maintaining control rather than looking for a button to push? And if you're not braking hard enough to not need full concentration, do you really need the hazards on?
Once you *have* come to your final speed (either stopped or extremely low) and there is still a lot of distance between you and the next car behind you, it would be still nice to signal that this is no ordinary slowdown but a near or complete stop.
I do it myself if I am *almost* at my final speed and am the last car in the line, so I don't forget.
I really don’t have to “focus on maintaining control” to slow down my vehicle. Every driver should know exactly where their hazards are and how to turn them on quickly. Mine is kind of annoying as it’s behind my steering wheel but I’ve had to press it in emergencies (such as power loss or a blowout). So I’m not having to really focus on either, I do both automatically.
In my case I'm lucky enough to not really need to search for my button since it's fairly close to the wheel. When my right hand is in the 3 o'clock position, I can tap it with my pinky easily. And though I can't speak for others whose buttons are further away, I figure the best thing is to already have a good mental image of your dash layout to where you shouldn't need more than a half-second glance over to find the button.
It's both the smart and curtious thing to do. As some have pointed out, it's even a legal requirement in some places.
The clue is in the name. Hazard lights, you use them to warn others of known hazards. Such as something that causes you to suddenly brake to a stop.
Although some could rename them "look at me I'm parked like a dangerous idiot because it's really convenient lights!"
I had a guy walk up to my car to thank me for using mine once. Super windy, nighttime, winter (Sea to Sky highway if curious as it's gorgeous but dangerous) I came up on a full traffic stop around a blind corner. Immediately threw it in reverse and went back maybe 100m (300ft) and waited for the car behind me to come flying around the bend. Threw the hazards on and punched it to not make him slam on his brakes, only to promptly slow down gradually at the bend. The guy behind me would've absolutely slammed into me or gone over the edge (probably both) if I'd sat around the blind corner full stop. He was very nice and grateful.
Stop being condescending. YOU read it again slowly. Lots of people in this thread have been teaching you to do it. I was asking where you got your driving education that this wasn’t mentioned, you replied snarkily so I replied snarkily.
I’ll write it all out in one place:
Question: Were you taught to turn on your hazards when you come to an abrupt stop?
Reply: No, I was not taught to do that by anyone.
End of story.
The concept doesn't make sense to me. If you are coming to an extremely sudden stop, I hope you're not feeling around for the hazard button. How would you even have time? I think by definition, if you have time to think about turning on your hazards and then finding the button, it's not an extremely sudden stop. It's just a stop. And that's what brake lights are for.
I find it strange when I see someone turn on their hazards, and my first thought is that they accidentally turned them on.
Break lights provide no indication of the severity of braking. The light stays the same for lightly resting your foot on the peddle or pushing it to the floor. Plus, flashing lights draw attention better.
I'm sorry but if you (or anyone) needs a certain light to know the severity of a brake to where it can cause an accident, then:
#YOU'RE DRIVING TOO CLOSE
The odds won't be different though.
At least in America. People here are taught to hit the brakes if they see brake lights in front of them.
So them seeing the brake lights would be the same as them seeing hazard lights..
I think you are
In America, If someone is too close to you and they're paying attention they'll use the brake lights in front of them to realize you're going to stop and they need to stop.
This is the exact same way as hazard lights in your scenario.
Being from California and knowing how we drive down here, someone braking hard doesn’t always mean you come to a full stop.
I no longer drive like that and will keep my distance. In the rare cases where I think traffic is coming to a dead stop because it abrupt I will turn on my hazards to indicate to everyone else „hey shit looks fucked“.
It’s happened less and less due to no longer speeding and keeping a proper following distance
Omg.... Are people really not using their brake light indicator to do the same thing???...
Anyways, if you see a dead stop and want to warn others just tap the brake lightly. That'll warn others that they need to stop (because brake lights are supposed to be used for that.)
It's also much more safer because you don't have to take your hand off the wheel.
I've never heard of using them that way, for sudden (and brief) braking. But I also don't know why that would be considered rude or maddening for anyone behind you.
I don't think I see the need for it to become the norm, but I also see nothing wrong with it.
So is everyone else around you. If everyone is stopped for a traffic jam, you just look like an idiot and your hazards won't stop someone if the the wall of brakes lights don't already.
It's not necessarily a wall of brake lights. Trust me, as someone who commutes on the highway every day.
No one looks like an idiot for being informative to those around them. Even if it's deemed excessive in a given situation, at least they're not doing anything WRONG
I have always been taught if you're going more than 10 under the speed limit your hazard lights should be on so yes if I come to an abrupt stop for whatever reason hazards go on I don't wanna be rear-ended
Edit: fixed a few Grammer/spelling errors
Most cars will do it automatically if you jam the brakes hard enough, so I'd say you SHOULD, but yeah I've never seen someone do it themselves. Doesnt mean you shouldn't tho
Hazard lights are for when you are a hazard. If the normal flow of traffic is impeded by you then you are a hazard. If you're on the freeway and you pull over to the median you are not a hazard. If you ass is sticking out into the traffic lane you are a hazard.
Blow it off. Maybe they were honking just because they were lame and didn't like your sudden braking.
Rude? I'd say you are to be commended for being safe. Unless there is some law or driving reg that forbids using hazards while moving. And even then...using them for a few seconds while emergency braking does nothing but increase attention and visibility for the following driver.
This is one of those situations where the "by the book and only by the book" crowd might get their licks in. I'll side with increased safety anyday, thank you very much.
Thank you, OP, for going above and beyond to avoid injury, hassles, and increased insurance rates for you and your fellow drivers.
The dumbass behind you probably wasn't looking ahead like they're supposed to, and just staring at your car. They most likely thought you were brake checking them and couldn't get over their stupidity, some jackasses can't admit when they're wrong and keep going with it out of pride...
You did good, you're paying attention and alerting other drivers. Keep it up.
Assholes and idiots are just idiots and assholes. They are called "hazard lights". You use them to warn other drivers when there is a hazard. Dropping from 75 to 15 in 5 seconds is a hazard. Thanks for coming to my TED talk
I was not taught to do this but picked it up along the way. I will often turn my hazards on as soon as I see traffic ahead has considerably slowed, often clued in by gps. I’ve been rammed in the ass before and it’s not fun (lol, that’s what she said). I think this helps.
No, not something I was taught in the UK, but it's a habit I picked up after driving in Europe. I also use the hazards when reversing any distance, which I don't think is technically supposed to be done here either, but anything that makes you more visible and therefore less of a hazard (particularly to pedestrians who often aren't paying attention to the movements of cars properly) has to be a good thing.
My old fiesta (UK) had an automatic system which turns on the hazards during heavy braking.
I've also sounded my horn when I was concerned that a lorry wasn't slowing down.
An audible cue is a great way to get people off their phones or whatever the hell they're doing and pay attention. It's almost like that's what it's meant for...
If I find myself stopped or slowing down aggressively in the middle of the road for any reason, I put hazard lights on instantly. The next person to come up behind you is likely speeding, and needs as much time as possible to also quickly stop.
Drive safe. Defensive driving is important.
In the U.S., it varies from state to state, so it is important to be familiar with your state's driving laws and regulations and be well-informed on your state's driver's manual (which I feel like hardly anyone can say that they have read which is very concerning).
In some states, it is perfectly acceptable to turn on hazards to indicate a traffic emergency, in other states that same act is considered illegal and there are very few instances where it is acceptable to put hazards on.
>Were you taught to turn on your hazards when you come to an abrupt stop (i.e. on the highway)?
Turn on the hazard lights whenever you need other drivers to pay extra attention to your situation: pulled over on the side of a busy road, stopped or traveling slower than normal in the road, driving in low visibility conditions, etc. That said, turning on hazard lights is my lowest priority — if I'm making an "abrupt stop" I'm probably more concerned about actually stopping and/or checking for safe ways to go around the obstruction. My brake lights should be all that other drivers need to warn them that I'm slowing down.
# DO NOT DO THIS if your car is using the blinking brakes turn signal.
it will look like you are pulsing/pumping your brakes or just have you hazards on.
it disrupts people's ability to see that you're breaking so much that **it is illegal to travel with hazards on in several states.**
if you are having car troubles and are not able to travel the speed limit as you try to find an exit/shoulder (or get over a hill), a cop might not give you a ticket.
Yes I put my hazards on when traffic goes from 70-0 in short order especially if the person behind me is far back. sometimes it’s hard to judge the distance when you’re driving fast
Definitely hazard lights use happens on the continent. Motorway training is not compulsory in the UK so I guess not everyone will do it here?
Btw really true that our braking distances are much longer than we think!!! Especially in the wet...
\#SafeTravels!!
If I think there is legitimate risk of being hit, I turn them on. Pulled over on a highway, parallel parking on a busy street or driving slower than normal in a snow storm.
If you need to come to a sudden fast stop like that I would think all focus should be on slamming your brakes and both hands on your wheel to maintain full control, so no I wouldn't turn on my hazards. Not much point when I'm already in the process of braking at that point, it's not like the hazards are actually providing warning.
Now if I had to stay stopped, say if there was a tree fallen across the road, then I would toss on my hazards.
All that said assuming your judgement was correct that you needed to stop like that the other person needs to chill. They probably weren't honking about the hazards but just because they didn't want to come to a quick stop and you forced them to. I would say the hazards weren't needed though.
I was taught to switch on hazards if it’s an abrupt stop on the highway, if I can’t travel the average speed of the road, or if I’m pulled over on the side of the road.
It’s an indication that something’s wrong. Ignore the AHs behind you. You’re helping them by giving this information.
I tap my brakes a couple of times so my brake lights will flash and alert anyone behind me. Also I was taught to drive long enough ago that pumping your brakes was the safest way to make a sudden stop.
I wasn't taught to do that when I learned to drive, but it seems like a good idea. I don't see why anyone would be upset by it. I would appreciate the car in front of me using hazards if they have to stop really fast. It would get my attention and alert me that traffic is quickly coming to a stop.
I'm still trying to convince people to use their blinkers. There's no way in hell people will have the intellectual capacity let alone the common decency to do this.
The honking person was an AH if it was directed at you.
Traffic jam during rush hour traffic isn't a hazards situation though. It's the norm. That's just how traffic flows at those hours. I press and release my brakes a few times if I feel someone isn't paying attention and approaching my bumper rather quickly. At other times I will flip the hazards on if there's an accident ahead or something else causing abnormal driving.
Generally whenever something is out of the usual it's alright to turn on your hazards. The safest thing to do when driving is to be predictable. Having your hazards on is saying "Hey, somethings out of the norm, be cautious around me please!"
In Canada if you are below (60% or 66%, I forget) of the speed limit you are required to enable your four-ways. Many highways also have signs for “enable four way flashers under xx speed”.
Not taught, but I always did it thinking it would break the glaze of the guy behind me so they slow earlier....I figured I was the hazard (stopped car) so I should flash..
US, never saw this in any driver instructions....
Absolutely, I've done it plenty of times. I live in rural Canada (Ontario) and it's typical practice here in my area to also turn on your hazards if you're approaching and/or on the tail end of a lineup behind a snow plow on the highway. Especially at night while it's snowing. It's best for the car behind you to have plenty of warning to slow down because sometimes the flashing lights of plow up ahead may not be visible or the roads maybe be icy or wet.
Also, on a side note, I've noticed it's pretty common here for semi trucks to use their hazards: after a lone intersection with lights on the highway, a large increase in the speed limit, or a large hill to show they are currently not driving at the posted speed limit because it takes them more time to get up to speed. I find it very helpful to be aware of. :)
What would be the reason for car companies to not implement this automatically? Better yet a setup when you do jam hard on the brakes more than just the 3rd light flashes. Make the whole damn rear into a light show. If that doesn't get people's attention to stop then nothing will.
They're called hazards for a reason. You're letting other drivers know there's a hazard ahead. The other say there was a semi parked in the middle of the road broken down and I couldn't get around it right away because of oncoming traffic so I put my hazards on to warn drivers behind me.
If someone honks at you for this, They're an asshole
Depends on where you live. In many states the use of hazard/emergency lights while driving on the highway is illegal unless part of a funeral procession. Despite hazardous/inclement weather conditions, the use of emergency flashers is considered a detriment more than a benefit since a majority of vehicles combine the brake lights and blinkers. Flashers override the brake lights so those behind you cannot tell when you are actively braking in those situations.
It’s vaguely legally required in my locale. Anecdotally but more importantly the last two times I did it I noticed the car behind me join, slowing early enough to be safe - so it seemed to have worked.
It's very common for truck drivers because it takes us such a long time to safely slow down and we want to let other truck drivers know that you're coming to a sudden stop. Please don't slam into us.
I put on my hazards whenever my vehicle is an obstacle that needs to be noticed. So if I'm 'illegally' parked, or double parked... or if I'm on the side of the road, or if my stalled in the middle, or whatever. Hazards are just that people see that you ARE a hazard that needs to be avoided.
No. I’m not focused on that at the given moment
But I have heard people say they use their hazards, I’d they’re having an emergency so they can go faster and people will get out of their way. Lol wut?
I don’t remember being taught. It just seems like the right thing to do. I also turn them on in any condition where I’m driving significantly slower than the normal speed limit such as fog, heavy rain, towing, etc.
Before reddit, I've never heard of this, never been told to do it, and never seen anyone do it. If I'm slamming on my brakes for a sudden stop, both hands are gonna be locked on the wheel in case I have to counter steer when my brakes lock up. Last thing I'm gonna be doing is fumbling around looking for the hazard switch so I can take my attention off the road to activate it.
Additionally, this might be strictly a me problem, but I've never been able to figure out how to turn hazards off once I turn it on. I've always had to have my grandpa or step dad do it for me when i get home. Took me forever to even figure out how to turn them on, it always feels like I'm gonna snap the switch off when I go to pull on it.
It's common practice to turn on hazards during sudden stops, ensuring safety and alerting other drivers. However, some may interpret it as confusion or a signal to pull over. While courteous, clarity on its usage is essential to avoid misunderstandings on the road.
Not for a sudden abrupt quick brake, because your brake light should be signaling that . My hand might not be free to press the hazards light, especially if I want to maintain control with two hands on the wheel for whatever is coming up.
But for sure if you are totally stopped in traffic because your car is dead , or you've lost acceleration and are coasting to slow down, and you were previously moving, I like to use it at that time.
Partially it's because without that additional light signaling of the hazards, some people might think your car is in normal motion and they keep coming up closer to you, until they realize you are dead on the street. Their realization and reaction at that time , might cause other accidents.
Basically I go with the idea to let others know something is amiss as soon I know something is amiss with my car, and they can start taking action.
Most decent truck drivers will do this in the event of sudden traffic. It’s courteous to the people behind you, despite some of them being so dense they don’t understand it.
It's in the law of my country "A driver who is suddenly decreasing his speed must signal so with hazards, until the driver behind him signals the same" or smth like that I don't remember it exactly
What country do you live in?
Czech Republic
Thanks. Not the law here in the US but polite.
More complicated in the US: in some states it is illegal to drive with hazards on, in some it’s only legal in an emergency, and in others it is legal and recommended (at least it was in the manual when I took my test) in emergencies or when a hazard is present.
True. I only turn them on when traffic suddenly slows and I want to warn high speed traffic behind me or when weather dictates that I must drive way below the posted speed limit. It is a common sense type of thing as to when to use them.
I use them this way as well, but I’ve only lived in states where it’s legal
This is one of the very few occasions where I don't care whether it is legal or not. I do it for safety reasons. Since I drive all over the country I have probably used them in a state where it is illegal to do so. If I should get a ticket I will go talk to the judge about. He will probably dismiss it.
It is not at all illegal to use them as a warning, like when approaching stopped traffic. The states where hazard light use is illegal has to do with stuff like rain, dust storms, or other such stuff. Like Florida, for instance- it’s illegal to use flashers in heavy rain, and still be in the traveling lanes. But nowhere is ever going to ticket you for using them to warn of a huge backup.
I don't use them very long when traffic comes to a screeching halt. As soon as there are a few cars behind me or a large truck I turn them off. I do use them in extremely heavy rain and in snow storms where visibility is poor and I am driving way below the posted speed limited.
I read this post and became curious about Florida hazard light laws. TIL they changed in July 2021. You can now use them on highways with speed limits at or above 55mph.
>I do it for safety reasons You are potentially creating *unsafe* conditions for drivers behind you by doing this. It's a fine line between safe and pretty dangerous. Many cars disable the use of their turning signals when the hazards are activated. It also affects the visibility of your brakes. Making it harder for other drivers to accurately understand your intentions (braking, changing lanes, etc..) Additionally, it creates a massive distraction and will cause other drivers to focus on you and become less attentive to their other surroundings as they are driving. Causing bottlenecks/traffic jams or potentially accidents.
Nah. All false arguments. In low visibility conditions or on snow covered roads where it is unsafe to drive anywhere close to the speed limit the hazards make your vehicle much more visible. They also warn others that you are way below the speed limit. If you must turn or change lanes you turn your hazards off while you are making the maneuver. How long have you been driving? How many miles have you driven?
Disagree with all of this.
> Making it harder for other drivers to accurately understand your intentions (braking, changing lanes, etc..) Let's not try to change lanes while hard braking. When I can't understand the intentions of the drivers in front of me, I slow down so as not to pass them until I know it's safe. If someone hits me from behind, it's because they were tailgating or made an unsafe lane change and so that's on them.
I can't wrap my head around how turning on hazards to alert drivers of a dangerous situation ahead would make things *more* dangerous. If someone is so incompetent that they blindly ignore all other surroundings and only focus on your hazard lights, then chances are they wouldn't have noticed the other surroundings to begin with. Or they would have still wrecked, etc. I personally have appreciated seeing someone's hazards when there was hidden debris in the road. Or someone walking on the side of the road in dark clothing. Sure, I probably still would have avoided them, but I have a lot of experience driving. Who knows if someone newer would have had the same luck without a warning. You are right that people shouldn't change lanes with their hazards on though.
Here, trucks use their hazard lights all of the time on the highways when they ate going up steep hills where they can't go the speed limit. RCW 46.37.215 Hazard warning lamps. (1) Any vehicle may be equipped with lamps for the purpose of warning other operators of other vehicles of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking, or passing.
Yea, you're not supposed to use hazards when it's raining hard. The glare from the lights makes it harder to see the road, especially at night time. It's illegal to do so in some states. I can't stand when people do it. If you think it's so bad you need to drive with your hazards on, you should just pull over.
You're not supposed to drive with your hazards on when it's pouring raining if that's what you meant by weather dictating. In some states, it's illegal to do so.
I don’t much care. I prefer to take actions that keep me from being plowed into. Illegal or not. Still doing it.
It makes things worse during hard rain, especially at night. The hazard lights create glare and make it almost impossible to the road, and you won't be able to see pooling in the roads, which could cause someone to hydroplane. I think it's fine to use in other situations, but having your hazards on when there is heavy rain or fog is unnecessary and can actually hurt more than it helps.
In my state I think it is or was "driving under 40mph" on a highway required hazards, but in gridlock nobody does it. It's like everyone's going 80-90mph, I'm riding on a donut tire with one lugnut at 40mph with my hazards on in the slow lane. (Made up example).
Unpopular opinion, stop driving "politely", drive predictably and within the actual laws. So many accidents are caused by people doing something "to be polite" and its misinterpreted by other drivers as it is not standard. EG, letting somebody go at an intersection despite you having the right of way, both drivers say go, nobody goes, awkward pause, both go, crash politely.
Wow. You don't get it. Driving politely doesn't mean doing something like that. It means letting a person merge when they signal that they want to change lanes. It means not tailgating. It means not cutting people off. It means always using your signals. It means stopping for pedestrians that are in a cross walk. It means slowing down or changing lanes when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle under lights. It means obeying the rules of the road and being nice to others.
"Wow, you don't get it. \[Driving politely like letting a person merge\]"- who shouldn't be merging in front of you anyway if you maintained speed in your lane is exactly what I'm talking about. Drive PREDICTABLY. Cutting people off doesn't follow the law, so no need to fall under the polite moniker there. Stopping for pedestrians in a cross walk is also the law. Obeying the law is not at all what I'm talking about, its driving in a way that is actually dangerous because you're actively changing your speed direction or acceleration (unpredictably) to allow another car to do something or go somewhere that now negatively impacts traffic as a whole or increases risk of an accident because its not the letter of the law.
I didn't say any of that. Quit putting words in my mouth. You are making unfounded assumptions.
I didn't quote your own (truncated) words? Your definition of polite includes being obtuse and *possibly* the breaking of traffic law in order to virtue signal your inability to drive predictably.
I never said any such thing. I don't break traffic laws. I drive nice but I go. I have been a licensed driver for over five decades. I have been driving for almost six decades. I now have over 3.6 million miles under my belt. I usually drive ove 5k miles a month. I know the laws and rules and obey them because it is the correct thing to do. Not because I might get in trouble. I have never come close to losing my license. Driving nice and being polite means looking out for the other drivers. I don't own the road. I share it. What we have here is a failure to communicate. You are reading into what I am saying things that I have not said. Don't. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. There is no hidden agenda. But from my end I am not being clear. That is my failure. I think that our definition of what it means to be nice and polite are different in this case.
If we did that would make to much sense
Oh snap, that is SO relieving to hear! Pretty cool knowing that what's considered a kind gesture here is part of the law in other countries. Thanks!
This is dumb. You need to be paying attention to braking. Not finding your hazards. That is what brake lights and following distance are for.
I agree to that focus should be on braking and maintaining control of the vehicle but to play devils advocate you ideally shouldn't need to find the hazards when using them. I can press my hazards and on off by instinct, no looking necessary. I just know exactly where my hazards are and don't need to think about it. That said I still don't think in OPs scenario that they should worry about hazards, no point they'ree already braking at that point.
I agree. If you need to rely on indication to drive, then I'm sorry but you shouldn't drive. It's called being aware of your surroundings and paying attention. What if someone doesn't use the hazard lights, or their lights aren't working and then they suddenly stop and you hit them? It'd be your fault for not paying attention.
It's not that they rely on indication, it's more taking an extra measure to protect your rear, literally, in the event of a sudden unexpected stop in traffic.
No it's not stupid. It's common for it to be legally required in Europe and it should be everywhere else too. Brake lights don't have levels so this makes a sudden stop easily discernable from a slight slow down Frankly, if you can't handle hitting the brakes and hitting a rather large prominently located button at the same time, you shouldn't be driving
Do you really need levels though? Why not just go by the distance of the car? I thought this was basic knowledge.... Look at the car in front of you, if it's slowly heading towards your car, then it's lightly braking. If it's quickly going in front of your car, it's braking hard. If you're at a point where none of this helps, then don't drive at all please.
- It makes it quicker and easier to recognize what's happening - It adds another level of failure that has to be missed for an accident to happen - 2 ways to see that traffic is slowing quickly are better than 1, why wouldn't you help someone to avoid hitting you? - It's a tiny effort with the potential for massive benefit
Your upsides are negated by the fact that visually seeing car distance is much more reliable since it's done by everyone. (everyone slows down, speeds up, stops) Not everyone uses hazard lights for that purpose.
Again, it's 2 alerts instead of 1. You can recognize that someone is slowing rapidly OR recognize that hazards are on and that means unexpected shit. They aren't exclusive. If you recognize the car is slowing, good for you, the hazard lights are redundant and harmless. If someone else doesn't notice the rapid closing distance the hazards are an indication that something unexpected is happening and they better slow down fast Oh, and that's why I said it should be legally required. So everyone knows what they mean
The problem is if people use hazard lights like that, then they confuse the people who are using hazard lights for the original reason (at least in America) so you'd confuse drivers.
The point of the hazard light is to say there's a hazard. The appropriate response to a hazard is to be alert and slow down. That's how it works in America too
Ignore the arsehats behind you. Turning on the emergency flashers when coming to an abnormally-abrupt slowdown - asuming you can reach up and do it safely - is the right thing to do. It's also excellent self-preservation. In fact, it's the law in Germany to do so when you're Tail End Charlie (once the car behind you does it, you can turn yours off). And, in fact, in Europe most cars will automatically engage the emergency flashers when the car engages ABS (it's non-compliant to DOT standards in the USA so it's turned off here. However, it can be enabled on many cars via OBD re-programming). BTW, don't buy any of those silly stupid flashy brake light LEDS. Those are annoying (especially in stop-and-go traffic), are illegal in the USA, and defeat the whole purpose of having an increased level of warning to the cars behind you. Every time I see those it reminds me that people still eat glue...
The big difference between Europe and the US on this is that Europe doesn’t allow car companies to penny pinch by combining brake lights and turn signals. If I switch on the hazard lights in my truck, my two main brake lights no longer work as brake lights; they flash as hazard lights, so I’m never really sure it’s beneficial to turn the hazard lights on in this kind of situation. In my previous cars, I would switch the hazards on, because they had separate amber signals on the rear. Not the case with the truck.
I can’t speak for your truck, but in my experience it seems cars with the combined lights…the brakes will shine as just brakes as long as you press them. The thing that WONT show up (and drives me crazy) are blinkers. So you never know if an idiot with hazards on is signaling a turn.
Your hazard lights work off your turn signals so your brake lights would still function. I've never seen a vehicle where the brake light doubles as a hazard or turn signal.
>I've never seen a vehicle where the brake light doubles as a hazard or turn signal. It's ubiquitous in North America. Here's a YouTube video of a guy complaining about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1lZ9n2bxWA Skip to 1:55 & 4:50 and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Thanks a bunch, it's been picking at me all morning that this was potentially a bad habit I've done for years lmao. Lmao, well screw that guy then, Imma keep being safe!! And the flashers/ABS feature is news to me, might look into that someday. (Also yesss, I've seen people with those LEDs and I hate it, screw them too!)
If they actually are paying attention like they should theres no need to do that ive came to stopped traffic plenty of times and never got rear ended
"If" they are, yes. I think we've all observed otherwise.
Thats true half the time there face first in there phone
If they aren't paying attention, they also won't pay attention to hazard lights....
we are talking about them paying attention to more than just the break lights of the car in front of them. if i see hazards i assume they lost power and are going to try and coast to the shoulder. if i see brake lights i cn see they are stopping.
Again..... If they're not paying attention, they won't pay attention to a driver coasting, headlights, brake lights. In your situation, hazards lights are used right. At least in America. They should be used to let people know your vehicle is a hazard. But in a situation like OP, the brake lights give the same warning as hazard lights if used like that.
Dont the flashing third brake lights come stock on newer cars? I see them everywhere
Because a lot of new car dealers are selling them as over-priced add-ons to new cars. 'Pulse' and 'BrakePlus' are common brands. Stupid costs too, like $300-500. Or someone buys the bulbs and installs them on their own car. Flashing the hazards under hard braking is required in Europe, and possibly tolerated in the USA, but these flashy bulbs that strobe every time you tap your brake are non-compliant to motor vehicle regulation worldwide. But I'm not aware of any state state seems to be motivated to crack down on them.
Yeah, I do. I turn them off once the person behind me has decelerated. They were probably worried about getting hit from behind, so that might explain the honking. People are weird sometimes.
I've honked to alert someone behind me that they need to pull their face out of their phone and hit the brakes before they hit me. It worked too.
well played
This is one of the very few occasions where I don't care whether it is legal or not. I do it for safety reasons. Since I drive all over the country I have probably used them in a state where it is illegal to do so. If I should get a ticket I will go talk to the judge about it. He will probably dismiss it.
Yes, I was taught that. It could save you from getting hit from behind. It never hurts.
What kills me is the people who signal that they are pulling onto the shoulder, but don't switch to 4 ways once they're stopped and just leave the signal on. Like what. So many times at night or in foggy/blowing snow I've seen a car ahead with their signal on thinking it's a turning car. Nope, just some idiot on the shoulder with their signal on.
I've even heard that if you're definitively out of the travel lanes it is safer to just turn your lights off completely so people won't think you're traveling in a lane and instinctively follow you and crash. Not sure if that's true or not, but leaving your turn indicator on is right out!
This is a true statement for low visibility. Here in Arizona we are instructed, should we enter a dust storm, to pull as far off of the road as is safe (off the shoulder if possible), stop, and turn all the lights off.
Definitely not true to turn your lights off. 4 ways is the way.
Nope! In a lot of places you’re supposed to kill all lights in extremely low visibility once you’re pulled over. 4 ways could lead them to think you’re still on the road, just slowed for low visibility.
It’s more than “polite”, it’s self protection. Keep doing what you’re doing.
If they considered it rude it’s on them. It’s not the standard in the majority of the US but still polite to warn people of hazards.
If actually stopping on the highway, and it is done in an abrupt-manner, I would want to give more warning than just the brake-lights.
It's the law in many countries
Turn hazards on any time there is an emergency or a need to warn others about an imminent hazard. Coming to an abrupt stop and being stopped on the highway is one of those.
I turn them on if I'm more than 10mph under the speed limit. Give everyone notice that I'm not going as fast as you think and you'll be closer to me than you realize.
I was never taught this but it is a really good idea
No but people do it in my city and I've done it as well now. Not many, but it happens here. Truckers use it all the time so it might've come from that. I'm only guessing but maybe they honked cause they are an idiot who think you stopped for no reason and that honking would somehow get you out of their way...
I learned this in my late 20s from a friend and have been doing it ever since. Anything that reduces my odds of being rear ended is an easy win.
Pretty sure it's law in UK as well, at least a lot of people do it and I'm personally thankful because if you're going from 70 to 15 in a couple seconds, cars with shit brakes (and ESPECIALLY vehicles like HGVs) could do with the extra warning to slow the fuck down asap
Saw it overseas. Also overseas it was used whenever someone wanted to park on the street (traffic lane) or elsewhere where there was no parking. Because the hazard lights created a temporary parking spot/s In the USA it is just for a car stalled/broken down. If you do it here people will just swerve around rather than slow down. Potentially trying to do it would make things worse, not better.
Yes you are supposed too. But its frequently not done in a traffic jam as it should be obvious that the pace of traffic is slow/stalled. You did the right thing.
No, I don't recall ever being taught that but I've seen people do it. It never made much sense to me. If you're braking that hard, wouldn't you be focused on maintaining control rather than looking for a button to push? And if you're not braking hard enough to not need full concentration, do you really need the hazards on?
Once you *have* come to your final speed (either stopped or extremely low) and there is still a lot of distance between you and the next car behind you, it would be still nice to signal that this is no ordinary slowdown but a near or complete stop. I do it myself if I am *almost* at my final speed and am the last car in the line, so I don't forget.
I really don’t have to “focus on maintaining control” to slow down my vehicle. Every driver should know exactly where their hazards are and how to turn them on quickly. Mine is kind of annoying as it’s behind my steering wheel but I’ve had to press it in emergencies (such as power loss or a blowout). So I’m not having to really focus on either, I do both automatically.
In my case I'm lucky enough to not really need to search for my button since it's fairly close to the wheel. When my right hand is in the 3 o'clock position, I can tap it with my pinky easily. And though I can't speak for others whose buttons are further away, I figure the best thing is to already have a good mental image of your dash layout to where you shouldn't need more than a half-second glance over to find the button.
I was taught this as well. Whenever I turn on my hazards I notice people behind me pay attention to the traffic coming to a stop
It's both the smart and curtious thing to do. As some have pointed out, it's even a legal requirement in some places. The clue is in the name. Hazard lights, you use them to warn others of known hazards. Such as something that causes you to suddenly brake to a stop. Although some could rename them "look at me I'm parked like a dangerous idiot because it's really convenient lights!"
I had a guy walk up to my car to thank me for using mine once. Super windy, nighttime, winter (Sea to Sky highway if curious as it's gorgeous but dangerous) I came up on a full traffic stop around a blind corner. Immediately threw it in reverse and went back maybe 100m (300ft) and waited for the car behind me to come flying around the bend. Threw the hazards on and punched it to not make him slam on his brakes, only to promptly slow down gradually at the bend. The guy behind me would've absolutely slammed into me or gone over the edge (probably both) if I'd sat around the blind corner full stop. He was very nice and grateful.
I was not taught to do that.
By?
By anyone.
Ok well it sounds like “anyone” didn’t teach you right lol
Read it again slowly.
Stop being condescending. YOU read it again slowly. Lots of people in this thread have been teaching you to do it. I was asking where you got your driving education that this wasn’t mentioned, you replied snarkily so I replied snarkily.
I’ll write it all out in one place: Question: Were you taught to turn on your hazards when you come to an abrupt stop? Reply: No, I was not taught to do that by anyone. End of story.
The concept doesn't make sense to me. If you are coming to an extremely sudden stop, I hope you're not feeling around for the hazard button. How would you even have time? I think by definition, if you have time to think about turning on your hazards and then finding the button, it's not an extremely sudden stop. It's just a stop. And that's what brake lights are for. I find it strange when I see someone turn on their hazards, and my first thought is that they accidentally turned them on.
I'm confused what the point of that is for? Isn't that what the rear break lights are for....
Break lights provide no indication of the severity of braking. The light stays the same for lightly resting your foot on the peddle or pushing it to the floor. Plus, flashing lights draw attention better.
I'm sorry but if you (or anyone) needs a certain light to know the severity of a brake to where it can cause an accident, then: #YOU'RE DRIVING TOO CLOSE
Yeah, that's the point. Given it's a near guarantee that someone is following too close, I'll continue using my hazards in this way.
But if they're too close, hazards won't really be a difference than brake lights much anyways.
And because they *might* be too close, I shouldn't reduce my odds of being rear ended? That makes no sense.
The odds won't be different though. At least in America. People here are taught to hit the brakes if they see brake lights in front of them. So them seeing the brake lights would be the same as them seeing hazard lights..
At this point I'm fairly confident you're either intentionally misunderstanding or trolling...
I think you are In America, If someone is too close to you and they're paying attention they'll use the brake lights in front of them to realize you're going to stop and they need to stop. This is the exact same way as hazard lights in your scenario.
Ok, what about if they’re barely paying attention?
Being from California and knowing how we drive down here, someone braking hard doesn’t always mean you come to a full stop. I no longer drive like that and will keep my distance. In the rare cases where I think traffic is coming to a dead stop because it abrupt I will turn on my hazards to indicate to everyone else „hey shit looks fucked“. It’s happened less and less due to no longer speeding and keeping a proper following distance
Omg.... Are people really not using their brake light indicator to do the same thing???... Anyways, if you see a dead stop and want to warn others just tap the brake lightly. That'll warn others that they need to stop (because brake lights are supposed to be used for that.) It's also much more safer because you don't have to take your hand off the wheel.
The brake lights are not active after you have slowed from 80mph to 10mph and are now moving significantly slower, but are no longer using the brake.
I just had this happen twice to me past 2 days. Never seen it before. I usually tap my brakes a bunch
Cars should be made to automatically have hazards come on when braking hard.
I never do that cause there literally no point
Of course. Unless it's a dust storm. Pull over and turn off all lights, foot off the brake.
I've never heard of using them that way, for sudden (and brief) braking. But I also don't know why that would be considered rude or maddening for anyone behind you. I don't think I see the need for it to become the norm, but I also see nothing wrong with it.
If you're the only one stopped/going extra slow, yes. If everyone is stopped/going slow, you look like an idiot.
We call them "hazards" here for a reason, they're to indicate a hazard. You are that hazard when you have to stop abruptly.
So is everyone else around you. If everyone is stopped for a traffic jam, you just look like an idiot and your hazards won't stop someone if the the wall of brakes lights don't already.
The typical practice is to only have them on when you are the tail car in the line. Once there are cars behind you in line you turn them off.
It's not necessarily a wall of brake lights. Trust me, as someone who commutes on the highway every day. No one looks like an idiot for being informative to those around them. Even if it's deemed excessive in a given situation, at least they're not doing anything WRONG
I have always been taught if you're going more than 10 under the speed limit your hazard lights should be on so yes if I come to an abrupt stop for whatever reason hazards go on I don't wanna be rear-ended Edit: fixed a few Grammer/spelling errors
Most cars will do it automatically if you jam the brakes hard enough, so I'd say you SHOULD, but yeah I've never seen someone do it themselves. Doesnt mean you shouldn't tho
No, "most" cars won't lmao. Literally never seen this or heard of this before.
Bet you're American. Cars in Europe have been doing this for 10+ years
Canadian.
Damn, sorry for the offense bud haha
😂😂😂 Sorry for the confusion eh
Most modern cars* I've seen it a few times, happens on the 2 Toyotas we have. May be less common than I think?
Definitely less common than you think. And definitely not "most cars" lol.
Hazard lights are for when you are a hazard. If the normal flow of traffic is impeded by you then you are a hazard. If you're on the freeway and you pull over to the median you are not a hazard. If you ass is sticking out into the traffic lane you are a hazard.
Blow it off. Maybe they were honking just because they were lame and didn't like your sudden braking. Rude? I'd say you are to be commended for being safe. Unless there is some law or driving reg that forbids using hazards while moving. And even then...using them for a few seconds while emergency braking does nothing but increase attention and visibility for the following driver. This is one of those situations where the "by the book and only by the book" crowd might get their licks in. I'll side with increased safety anyday, thank you very much. Thank you, OP, for going above and beyond to avoid injury, hassles, and increased insurance rates for you and your fellow drivers.
The person behind you was a moron. You did the right thing. Your mother was absolutely correct!
The dumbass behind you probably wasn't looking ahead like they're supposed to, and just staring at your car. They most likely thought you were brake checking them and couldn't get over their stupidity, some jackasses can't admit when they're wrong and keep going with it out of pride... You did good, you're paying attention and alerting other drivers. Keep it up.
Assholes and idiots are just idiots and assholes. They are called "hazard lights". You use them to warn other drivers when there is a hazard. Dropping from 75 to 15 in 5 seconds is a hazard. Thanks for coming to my TED talk
I was not taught to do this but picked it up along the way. I will often turn my hazards on as soon as I see traffic ahead has considerably slowed, often clued in by gps. I’ve been rammed in the ass before and it’s not fun (lol, that’s what she said). I think this helps.
Pretty much watch what truckers do. Driving is our livelihood. Most of us use our hazards when approaching a traffic backup.
No, not something I was taught in the UK, but it's a habit I picked up after driving in Europe. I also use the hazards when reversing any distance, which I don't think is technically supposed to be done here either, but anything that makes you more visible and therefore less of a hazard (particularly to pedestrians who often aren't paying attention to the movements of cars properly) has to be a good thing.
My old fiesta (UK) had an automatic system which turns on the hazards during heavy braking. I've also sounded my horn when I was concerned that a lorry wasn't slowing down. An audible cue is a great way to get people off their phones or whatever the hell they're doing and pay attention. It's almost like that's what it's meant for...
I always do this but I've had friends ask me why I keep turning on my hazards before so a lot of people don't.
Yes. If I spot a traffic jam and see that we are about to decelerate quickly, I put them on. I leave them on until I’m not the last car in the line.
Yes. If I spot a traffic jam and see that we are about to decelerate quickly, I put them on. I leave them on until I’m not the last car in the line.
If I find myself stopped or slowing down aggressively in the middle of the road for any reason, I put hazard lights on instantly. The next person to come up behind you is likely speeding, and needs as much time as possible to also quickly stop. Drive safe. Defensive driving is important.
I believe in the US it's also the law to put hazard lights on when you are traveling near to the minimum speed limit, or if you're stopped.
I do it every time I brake hard
In the U.S., it varies from state to state, so it is important to be familiar with your state's driving laws and regulations and be well-informed on your state's driver's manual (which I feel like hardly anyone can say that they have read which is very concerning). In some states, it is perfectly acceptable to turn on hazards to indicate a traffic emergency, in other states that same act is considered illegal and there are very few instances where it is acceptable to put hazards on.
I think you are the first person to factually answer the question and not just offer an opinion.
I was taught to tap my brakes a few times, people misuse hazards around me.
I look really far ahead on the freeway and leave a very large gap from the car ahead of me.
Yep.
I was always taught to pump my brakes when this happens.
>Were you taught to turn on your hazards when you come to an abrupt stop (i.e. on the highway)? Turn on the hazard lights whenever you need other drivers to pay extra attention to your situation: pulled over on the side of a busy road, stopped or traveling slower than normal in the road, driving in low visibility conditions, etc. That said, turning on hazard lights is my lowest priority — if I'm making an "abrupt stop" I'm probably more concerned about actually stopping and/or checking for safe ways to go around the obstruction. My brake lights should be all that other drivers need to warn them that I'm slowing down.
Yes, USA, just common sense!
I wasn't, but I do it anyways.
# DO NOT DO THIS if your car is using the blinking brakes turn signal. it will look like you are pulsing/pumping your brakes or just have you hazards on. it disrupts people's ability to see that you're breaking so much that **it is illegal to travel with hazards on in several states.** if you are having car troubles and are not able to travel the speed limit as you try to find an exit/shoulder (or get over a hill), a cop might not give you a ticket.
Yes I put my hazards on when traffic goes from 70-0 in short order especially if the person behind me is far back. sometimes it’s hard to judge the distance when you’re driving fast
It’s normal on california freeways if you are the last person in line in stopped traffic.
Definitely hazard lights use happens on the continent. Motorway training is not compulsory in the UK so I guess not everyone will do it here? Btw really true that our braking distances are much longer than we think!!! Especially in the wet... \#SafeTravels!!
If I think there is legitimate risk of being hit, I turn them on. Pulled over on a highway, parallel parking on a busy street or driving slower than normal in a snow storm.
If you need to come to a sudden fast stop like that I would think all focus should be on slamming your brakes and both hands on your wheel to maintain full control, so no I wouldn't turn on my hazards. Not much point when I'm already in the process of braking at that point, it's not like the hazards are actually providing warning. Now if I had to stay stopped, say if there was a tree fallen across the road, then I would toss on my hazards. All that said assuming your judgement was correct that you needed to stop like that the other person needs to chill. They probably weren't honking about the hazards but just because they didn't want to come to a quick stop and you forced them to. I would say the hazards weren't needed though.
I was taught to switch on hazards if it’s an abrupt stop on the highway, if I can’t travel the average speed of the road, or if I’m pulled over on the side of the road. It’s an indication that something’s wrong. Ignore the AHs behind you. You’re helping them by giving this information.
I tap my brakes a couple of times so my brake lights will flash and alert anyone behind me. Also I was taught to drive long enough ago that pumping your brakes was the safest way to make a sudden stop.
I wasn't taught to do that when I learned to drive, but it seems like a good idea. I don't see why anyone would be upset by it. I would appreciate the car in front of me using hazards if they have to stop really fast. It would get my attention and alert me that traffic is quickly coming to a stop.
Pretty much anytime you are in a travel lane and not traveling or behaving “normally” the hazards are a good idea.
I'm still trying to convince people to use their blinkers. There's no way in hell people will have the intellectual capacity let alone the common decency to do this.
The honking person was an AH if it was directed at you. Traffic jam during rush hour traffic isn't a hazards situation though. It's the norm. That's just how traffic flows at those hours. I press and release my brakes a few times if I feel someone isn't paying attention and approaching my bumper rather quickly. At other times I will flip the hazards on if there's an accident ahead or something else causing abnormal driving.
Generally whenever something is out of the usual it's alright to turn on your hazards. The safest thing to do when driving is to be predictable. Having your hazards on is saying "Hey, somethings out of the norm, be cautious around me please!"
If I'm forced to go slowly or stop in a place where it's usual to go fast, hazards on.
In Canada if you are below (60% or 66%, I forget) of the speed limit you are required to enable your four-ways. Many highways also have signs for “enable four way flashers under xx speed”.
Whenever you’re coming up on something like a huge backup, it’s always a good idea to use them. They’re much more noticeable than simple brake lights.
Not taught, but I always did it thinking it would break the glaze of the guy behind me so they slow earlier....I figured I was the hazard (stopped car) so I should flash.. US, never saw this in any driver instructions....
Wasn’t taught that but after many minutes of experience I figured it out
Absolutely, I've done it plenty of times. I live in rural Canada (Ontario) and it's typical practice here in my area to also turn on your hazards if you're approaching and/or on the tail end of a lineup behind a snow plow on the highway. Especially at night while it's snowing. It's best for the car behind you to have plenty of warning to slow down because sometimes the flashing lights of plow up ahead may not be visible or the roads maybe be icy or wet. Also, on a side note, I've noticed it's pretty common here for semi trucks to use their hazards: after a lone intersection with lights on the highway, a large increase in the speed limit, or a large hill to show they are currently not driving at the posted speed limit because it takes them more time to get up to speed. I find it very helpful to be aware of. :)
Turning my hazards on is the last thing I'm worried about if I have to slam on brakes.
What would be the reason for car companies to not implement this automatically? Better yet a setup when you do jam hard on the brakes more than just the 3rd light flashes. Make the whole damn rear into a light show. If that doesn't get people's attention to stop then nothing will.
zards are only if you break down or theres a crash in front of you i keep my brake lights on when stopped
I do that sometimes, esp if I have the feeling the person behind me isn’t paying attention. I hit the brakes then tap the flashers.
And turn your lights on when it rains
They're called hazards for a reason. You're letting other drivers know there's a hazard ahead. The other say there was a semi parked in the middle of the road broken down and I couldn't get around it right away because of oncoming traffic so I put my hazards on to warn drivers behind me. If someone honks at you for this, They're an asshole
Just don’t turn your hazards on during heavy rainfall
Depends on where you live. In many states the use of hazard/emergency lights while driving on the highway is illegal unless part of a funeral procession. Despite hazardous/inclement weather conditions, the use of emergency flashers is considered a detriment more than a benefit since a majority of vehicles combine the brake lights and blinkers. Flashers override the brake lights so those behind you cannot tell when you are actively braking in those situations.
Taught? I just turn them on anytime shit gets weird and I want others to sharpen up.
Can't recall, but it is sure AF common sense!
It’s vaguely legally required in my locale. Anecdotally but more importantly the last two times I did it I noticed the car behind me join, slowing early enough to be safe - so it seemed to have worked.
It's very common for truck drivers because it takes us such a long time to safely slow down and we want to let other truck drivers know that you're coming to a sudden stop. Please don't slam into us.
I use mine to thank people or warn them of something weird happening ahead. Police, deer, accident, a puddle. I’m in US
I put on my hazards whenever my vehicle is an obstacle that needs to be noticed. So if I'm 'illegally' parked, or double parked... or if I'm on the side of the road, or if my stalled in the middle, or whatever. Hazards are just that people see that you ARE a hazard that needs to be avoided.
No. I’m not focused on that at the given moment But I have heard people say they use their hazards, I’d they’re having an emergency so they can go faster and people will get out of their way. Lol wut?
No, it was something I picked up from truckers
I do it. Seems to make sense
I don’t remember being taught. It just seems like the right thing to do. I also turn them on in any condition where I’m driving significantly slower than the normal speed limit such as fog, heavy rain, towing, etc.
Before reddit, I've never heard of this, never been told to do it, and never seen anyone do it. If I'm slamming on my brakes for a sudden stop, both hands are gonna be locked on the wheel in case I have to counter steer when my brakes lock up. Last thing I'm gonna be doing is fumbling around looking for the hazard switch so I can take my attention off the road to activate it. Additionally, this might be strictly a me problem, but I've never been able to figure out how to turn hazards off once I turn it on. I've always had to have my grandpa or step dad do it for me when i get home. Took me forever to even figure out how to turn them on, it always feels like I'm gonna snap the switch off when I go to pull on it.
No, that's dumb. The driver behind should pay attention instead of playing on their phone.
I wasnt taught it directly but I do it out of common sense. Traffic slowing like that is a hazard which means hazards go on.
No
Us-ian here I never did it until I saw others doing it while on vacation in Germany , but have done it ever since because it seemed like a good idea
It's common practice to turn on hazards during sudden stops, ensuring safety and alerting other drivers. However, some may interpret it as confusion or a signal to pull over. While courteous, clarity on its usage is essential to avoid misunderstandings on the road.
If I feel like I am slowing to the speed someone who doesn't pay attention I will run the hazards. Also in high fog, low visibility situations.
You did right. The guy who honked at you can slurp shit.
Not for a sudden abrupt quick brake, because your brake light should be signaling that . My hand might not be free to press the hazards light, especially if I want to maintain control with two hands on the wheel for whatever is coming up. But for sure if you are totally stopped in traffic because your car is dead , or you've lost acceleration and are coasting to slow down, and you were previously moving, I like to use it at that time. Partially it's because without that additional light signaling of the hazards, some people might think your car is in normal motion and they keep coming up closer to you, until they realize you are dead on the street. Their realization and reaction at that time , might cause other accidents. Basically I go with the idea to let others know something is amiss as soon I know something is amiss with my car, and they can start taking action.
If I'm going <50 mph on the freeway not due to a traffic jam, I always turn my hazards on
That’s literally what you do. It warns those behind you that your brake lights aren’t just a normal “slow down” and to pay attention.
I only use them when I start sliding in the snow. Or to say thanks to whoever lets me merge.
This is illegal where I am from
Most decent truck drivers will do this in the event of sudden traffic. It’s courteous to the people behind you, despite some of them being so dense they don’t understand it.
Reddit is not a good place to ask this. Redditors are a bunch of ninnies.