Driving with Hazards On!

[Gau_8]

Please allow me to vent.

A couple of days ago I had to drive in a toad strangler of a thunderstorm in South Florida. Visibility was bad and made it unsafe to drive more than 20 MPH.

IT IS ILLEGAL AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH HAZARD FLASHERS ON!!!

It renders your turn signals inoperative and makes it hard to tell if you apply the brakes. Plus you can't tell if the vehicle is moving or stopped.

Hazards are for vehicles parked or disabled along the roadway. Turns your headlights on and leave the flashers off. If it is too bad, try to pull well off the roadway and only then turn on the hazards!

The number of people driving with the flashers on created a very scary and dangerous condition.

[Gau_8]

RV daytrader wrote:
To me, it is safer to put my hazards on if I am driving 55 and others are doing 70. It tells them from a distance that I'm going slow and gives them a chance to get over into left lane sooner than if my hazards were off.

You are in one of the seven states where that is permitted. Flash away.

[RV_daytrader]

To me, it is safer to put my hazards on if I am driving 55 and others are doing 70. It tells them from a distance that I'm going slow and gives them a chance to get over into left lane sooner than if my hazards were off.

[RetSgt7114]

Yes it is!
Florida law
(7) Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles except as a means of indicating a right or left turn, to change lanes, or to indicate that the vehicle is lawfully stopped or disabled upon the highway or except that the lamps authorized in subsections (1), (2), (3), (4), and (9) and s. 316.235(5) are permitted to flash.


This does not refer to original equipment hazard lights. It refers to flashing lights like police-type lights or add-on auxiliary lights. Not to get into a peeing contest with you but I am a former Florida Cop so I have a little knowledge about this.

[coolbreeze01]

Those that can't drive in heavy rain are a hazard. Maybe that's why they turn on their hazards?

[Gau_8]

Eric,

If everyone waited till they were off of the roadway or disabled in the roadway to turn on flashers there would be no doubt that it is a stopped vehicle. Can you not see that

That is the intent of the law.

[Gau_8]

Trucks have some different rules. I am talking about driving in limited visibility.

[past-MIdirector]

I have seen truckers turn there flashers on for years when they are moving slow entering the freeway or pulling away from a stop all over the country. If you've ever driving in the mountains this is common practice going up steep grades when there speed drops below the rest of traffic.
As far in bad weather snow or rain the best thing is not get caught in it but if you have to slow below minimum speeds than best thing is either get off the highway at the next exit or not as safe as exiting is pull way off the side of the road is possible.

[Gau_8]

RetSgt7114 wrote:

Gau 8 wrote:
Please allow me to vent.

IT IS ILLEGAL AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH HAZARD FLASHERS ON!!!

Um, no it's not, and it's rather appropriate if you happen to get stuck in a torrential down pour, which occurs quite regularly in Florida. Flashers indicate that there is a slow, stopped or disabled vehicle in the travel lane, and for following traffic to use caution. In many places in Florida, if you tried to pull off the road, you're likely to find yourself in a water-filled drainage ditch. If you can safely find a spot to pull off, and you want to do so, then do so, but otherwise you should stay on the pavement and use your flashers when visibility is reduced to that point and you have to drive slowly.

Yes it is!
Florida law
(7) Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles except as a means of indicating a right or left turn, to change lanes, or to indicate that the vehicle is lawfully stopped or disabled upon the highway or except that the lamps authorized in subsections (1), (2), (3), (4), and (9) and s. 316.235(5) are permitted to flash.

[eric1514]

Gau 8 wrote:
Eric,
I won't argue semantics with you. Imagine you are in a driving rain and can only see a short distance. You are in heavy traffic and can't get to the side of the road.. Cars around you start turning on their flashers while they are still moving. Now you don't know if they are stopped and you are about to plow into them.. You tap your brakes and risk being rear ended. It was a very scary position. That is my point.

If the vis is good and you are moving slowly, yeah maybe. Not in a driving rain with bad vis.. If it is that bad , get off the roadway and flash away.

When I was taught to drive (now there's something that doesn't happen anymore), I was told that when visibility was low, to never pull off to the side and leave your lights on or you foot on the brakes. We didn't have flashers. The point being, you didn't want other drivers to follow your lead thinking you were driving on the road and slam into your parked car. If you pulled off, you were to turn off all lights. Now-a-days, I think that would include flashers a we would avoid the dangerous situation you describe.

Eric

[RetSgt7114]

Gau 8 wrote:
Please allow me to vent.

IT IS ILLEGAL AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH HAZARD FLASHERS ON!!!

Um, no it's not, and it's rather appropriate if you happen to get stuck in a torrential down pour, which occurs quite regularly in Florida. Flashers indicate that there is a slow, stopped or disabled vehicle in the travel lane, and for following traffic to use caution. In many places in Florida, if you tried to pull off the road, you're likely to find yourself in a water-filled drainage ditch. If you can safely find a spot to pull off, and you want to do so, then do so, but otherwise you should stay on the pavement and use your flashers when visibility is reduced to that point and you have to drive slowly.

[Gau_8]

Revo-Ray wrote:
If you have to use your hazards, then safely make your way to the shoulder where your hazards would be of better use and intended for. After the storm has passed and you feel you don't need to drive 20mph under the speed limit with your hazards on, then make your way back on to the roadway. This is one of the most irritating things and actually more likely to cause an accident.

Thanks. Someone who gets it!

[Gau_8]

Eric,
I won't argue semantics with you. Imagine you are in a driving rain and can only see a short distance. You are in heavy traffic and can't get to the side of the road.. Cars around you start turning on their flashers while they are still moving. Now you don't know if they are stopped and you are about to plow into them.. You tap your brakes and risk being rear ended. It was a very scary position. That is my point.

If the vis is good and you are moving slowly, yeah maybe. Not in a driving rain with bad vis.. If it is that bad , get off the roadway and flash away.

[Revo-Ray]

If you have to use your hazards, then safely make your way to the shoulder where your hazards would be of better use and intended for. After the storm has passed and you feel you don't need to drive 20mph under the speed limit with your hazards on, then make your way back on to the roadway. This is one of the most irritating things and actually more likely to cause an accident.

[eric1514]

From the AZ Commercial Driver's License Manual

Slowing Down.
Warn drivers behind you when you see
you’ll need to slow down. A few light taps on the brake pedal
-- enough to flash the brake lights -- should warn following
drivers. Use the four-way emergency flashers for times when
you are driving very slowly or are stopped. Warn other drivers
in any of the following situations

And


Driving Slowly. Drivers often do not realize how fast they
are catching up to a slow vehicle until they are very close.
If you must drive slowly, alert following drivers by turning
on your emergency flashers if it is legal. (Laws regarding
the use of flashers differ from one state to another. Check
the laws of the states where you will drive.)

Eric

[KD4UPL]

You were taught wrong. In many states have your flashers on is illegal unless you are stopped. In VA where I live you can have them on only if going below 30 mph.
Most states say you can use them to indicate a road hazard. I don't really consider rain to be a road hazard worthy of being indicated. If you don't know it's raining you shouldn't be driving.
I agree with the OP, flasher on the road, especially in adverse conditions make things more dangerous, it's distracting and makes it hard to tell who's moving, who's not, and who's going where.