Driving with your hazard flashers on

Thunderbolt wrote:
Every day for the last 3 weeks I have encountered the same Chevy truck driving down the interstate with his flashers on. It is a 20 mile stretch that he does this. Is he telling everyone to get out of his way I am in a hurry or is he warning everyone that he may break down at any moment and cause a traffic jam ? Either way it is anoying as hell because he changes lanes all the time yet isn't going super fast.

It is just possible that his brake lights have in some way malfunctioned, and is using the 4 ways for brake lights. With the 4 ways on. They stop flashing and just glow when you hit the brakes, and would alert others that he is stopping.

Not an excuse. Just a thought.

I see people use them when illegally parking in front of the door at Walmart.

Wayne

dockmasterdave wrote:
In FL the hazard flashers signal a vehicle in distress, as in disabled, as in , on the shoulder. If you aren't comfortable driving in our rain, to the point where you feel you need your flashers on, pull over. Wait ten minutes, it's FL.

No I think I still use them in heavy down pours when visibility is an issue. Many folks use them in Florida or other states. Reason...Flashers work in these conditions period.

Maybe he is confused. Sorta like that new bathroom choice thing, he must be uncertain if he is left, right or somewhere down the middle.

dewey02 wrote:
There is a very steep uphill grade on an interstate near where I live. It also has a 3rd truck lane. It is VERY common to see trucks straining to get up that hill and going pretty slowly, and most of them have their 4 way flashers on.

I find that warning helpful, because it tells any oncoming drivers that the truck is going very slowly and to be cautious.

I can't tell you whether it is an illegal use in this situation in my state or not, but I see it happening on almost a daily basis, and I personally think it is a good safety practice.

Here's a link to every state and what they say about using the hazard warning flashers while driving. A few seem to say it is illegal while moving. Most say it is illegal except to indicate a traffic hazard (going very slowly up hill may be a reason, I would guess), and some just allow it for any reason.

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/hazard-light-use/

Good link! And it looks like hazards in your state are legal for what you describe.

South Carolina seems to have the most detailed description of use: "Hazard lights may be used while driving for the purpose of warning the operators of other vehicles of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing."

As to the pickup truck in the original post, I have no idea. I would probably just stay far away from it.

On a semi-related side note: In Connecticut, you can't just put a separate yellow/orange flashing light on your vehicle, you need a permit for that. All those utility trucks, repair trucks, even town and state snowplows have to have a permit in their glove box for the flashing / strobing yellow lights. If the yellow light is a normal factory light on the vehicle (like hazards, or "4-ways" as some call them), you don't need a permit. Realistically, most small contractor snowplow operators don't have the yellow light permit, and the vast majority of police won't ask for it in the middle of a snowstorm.

When I was getting my CDL and school bus license, I recall that it is required to turn 4 way flashers on if you are traveling 15 mph below the posted speed limit to earn traffic behind you that you are going slower. That being said, I can't imagine changing lanes in this situation.

Thunderbolt wrote:
I talked to the state patrol and it is illegal. They said get his license number and call 911. When I said I didn't want to call 911 for a non emergency they advised me that it was the proper thing to do and was okay. They said they would contact him to find out more information or pull him over if an officer is near the area.

The part that bothers me is he constantly changes lanes and then exits, but nobody has any idea what he is doing unless he brakes. Not that you can always tell what everyone is going to do, but this adds to the confusion and effects traffic.

:) Hi, I see things on the road almost every day that I don't like. People not stopping at stop signs, turning from the wrong lane, passing school busses with red flashing lights on, blasting their boom-boom noise makers, Etc. If you call the cops because you don't like someone using their hazard lights, then you're an idiot. This person might have a good reason for doing it and you should leave him alone.

There is a very steep uphill grade on an interstate near where I live. It also has a 3rd truck lane. It is VERY common to see trucks straining to get up that hill and going pretty slowly, and most of them have their 4 way flashers on.

I find that warning helpful, because it tells any oncoming drivers that the truck is going very slowly and to be cautious.

I can't tell you whether it is an illegal use in this situation in my state or not, but I see it happening on almost a daily basis, and I personally think it is a good safety practice.

Here's a link to every state and what they say about using the hazard warning flashers while driving. A few seem to say it is illegal while moving. Most say it is illegal except to indicate a traffic hazard (going very slowly up hill may be a reason, I would guess), and some just allow it for any reason.

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/hazard-light-use/

If I have an emergency I am pulling off with my turn signal. After I am stopped the flashers go on. While in motion... no.

Great so the drunks and idiots have learned to just follow the flashing lights and will now just plow into me stopped on the shoulder.

Nothing is safe these days.

Desert Captain wrote:
You often see them on a long steep grade. What they are telling you is that the driver was too cheap or stupid to buy enough truck or bought too much trailer. Most motorhomes should be able to maintain a decent speed even on the longer grades unless they are towing too much of a toad. Sadly you see it all the time. :S

Unfortunately turning on your flashers does not fix stupid.... :R

I don't have any problem with my rig losing speed as it's going up a hill. The law only requires you to be able to maintain the minimum speed limit; although there may be some stupid people that don't know that.