Hazard Lights in Rain Rant...

I see this more and more. Especially with the last 2 days of driving in the rain on the way home from work, it leads me to wonder...

• Why do people feel the need to turn their Hazard Lights on, when it's raining, WHILE DRIVING?
• Did I miss a memo, PSA or something?
• Is this just a thing here in the NC/SC area?
• Am I the only one that is genuinely annoyed by this?
• Am I the only one that thinks seeing 2 or 3 lanes of cars, all with their hazard lights on is more of a distraction than it could possibly be helpful to anyone?
• With your hazard lights on, while driving, you lose the ability to indicate lane changes. So, are you not creating MORE of a hazard?
• If you think it's raining hard enough that you need to turn your hazard lights on, while driving, should you not just pull off the road and stop until it lets up? And when you're pulled over, maybe THEN put on your hazards?

If I'm missing something, please let me know. Maybe it's just me?

This is just a sanity check. Interested what y'all think?

What thoughts go thru your head when you see someone driving in the rain with their hazard lights on?

Edit: Just googling "hazard lights in rain". All articles I've read say that it's not recommended & generally not safe.

 

Unless they're travelling so slowly compared to traffic as to present a hazard, can't think of any sensible reason to do this.

 

Thank God they have their hazards on, because I may not have seen them otherwise. Its no less a distraction than anything else on or off the road. (when rain is so heavy you can't see more than 5 ft in front of you)

 

Doesn't bother me

 

Obviously a time and place for it; its not needed every time it rains. But when driving in "hazardous" conditions, nothing wrong with turning on the hazards to alert others you're there. (assuming you live in a state that permits hazards to be used while in motion; there's no blanket answer for every state)

 

Are head lights, tail lights & marker lights not visible? If visibility is literally 5ft, you probably shouldn't be driving at all?

 

Hazards for poor visibility in extreme weather, because you are going slow, because you are stopped on the shoulder, or because traffic is coming to a screeching halt, I'm ok with. I understand your intent behind the signal.

Hazards because you are in a funeral procession, I cant tell you why I don't like it, but I still understand. The escorts tell you to turn 'em on.

...Hazards because you are either speeding or going with the flow of traffic... No one knows whats going on inside your world dude. Either you fat-fingered the radio dial by mistake, got lost on the way to the hospital, or you're announcing that you really need to take a dump.


...Hazards because you are too lazy to secure your trailer load: fuck off with that shit.

 

Again, there's a time and place. Using them every time it rains is stupid. Using them in a heavy downpour with 5 ft visibility on an interstate with a 70mph posted limit when you're limited to only going about 45-50mph where it would be more dangerous for you to stop completely sounds like a pretty reasonable time to use them (assuming you're in a state that permits hazards while in motion, you're not going under the min posted limit). But yes, in conditions where tail lights are next to invisible through the downpour, I'm happy to see hazards on in front of me. Whether you agree or disagree with it, whether some abuse or misuse them, theres nothing wrong with it if in a state that permits it. Those people aren't out there to cause harm; they're notifying others of their presence, to take caution when approaching/passing/overtaking, warning of flooded roads, etc.

 

I gotcha...but again if literally 5ft visibility & you're driving 45mph, you're driving faster than you can literally see, react & stop (45mph = 66fps, you've covering your 5ft visibility in .076 seconds). I realize your 5ft visibility may be a bit exaggerated.
As far as the state law of hazards on while in motion, why would it be illegal in some states? Possibly they found it was more dangerous and should be reserved for vehicles that are stopped, on the side of the road, coming to abrupt stop, wreck ahead, etc. (an actual road hazard)? Not weather that everyone can see and should know to slow down & increase following distance.

 

I know in Ohio, if you have your hazard lights on while in motion, you have to be going 35mph or less. No one here turns on their hazard lights while raining, but it is state law to have the headlights on whenever your wipers turn on.

 

5ft visibility is most obviously an exaggeration to make the point. As for different laws per state, ask the same question on literally every law that exists; not everyone agrees on the same things. While you may be of the opinion that hazards are only for stopped vehicles, others may be of the opinion that hazards are useful for vehicles in motion, as well as stopped vehicles. We're not disagreeing on people should know to slow down in bad weather. Some just value themselves/their passengers/their vehicle and choose to flip on the hazards so no one rear ends them, because although people "should" know to slow down and be more careful, most of them don't care about you, your vehicles, or themselves. I'm not saying everyone should or shouldn't use them. I don't care at the end of the day, but if I'm behind someone with their hazards on, it pretty much is an indicator to me that they're not comfortable in the conditions, so I should treat them as a potential hazard, and be extra cautious with passing/approaching/overtaking. And to those people, and to your point, pull over if you're uncomfortable in the conditions; unless its more of a danger to do so - then just flip on your hazards so I know to stay far away.

 

When I lived in the High Desert of Socal and during inclement weather such as dense fog on the Cajon pass . I used to see people driving down the pass with their flashers on and only going 40-45 mph , The visibility would maybe be under 100ft

 

I drive with my hazards on constantly, even in the sunny weather. It keeps people off my ass!

 

I'll flip on my hazards if I see that traffic ahead is slowing down (hard braking) or there is an accident, or if I see that the car/traffic behind me has not started to slow down yet. As soon as I see that the vehicle/traffic behind me has slowed down too, I turn them back off. This applies to any weather condition really. Turning hazards on in poor visibility seems dangerous to me. If it's really coming down, or it's really foggy, hazards flashing looks like a car pulled over on the shoulder. If you are driving to match the conditions, your hazards should not be on IMHO. In poor conditions, I like to be able to see at least three seconds ahead of me. There have been two times in my life that I can recall when conditions were so bad that I pulled over, off of the shoulder even, until I could see again; I turned my hazards on then.

 

Haa, I have done that a few times with tailgaters. When I'm commuting in my little hybrid transportation appliance, I drive like a grandma. I will occasionally get someone following me way too close; I'm talking like maybe a car length at 65MPH; keep in mind my commute is mostly two or three lane interstate highway. Why they don't just pass is beyond me. But I've found that a very effective way to get them off my bumper is to turn on my flashers; they either back off or go around me, and the hazards are only ever on for a few seconds.

 

I agree 100%. Hazard Lights to me indicates the car is stopped, is in the process of stopping, or is pulled over on the shoulder.

 

My favorite passive aggressive way of dealing with tailgaters is to use my windshield washer fluid to spray them. Usually then they back off a little and I get over, or they just go around.

 

theres no need, if u cant see I wouldnt even drive

 

Amen , preach it brother.

 

Here in Florida it rains a lot in the summer, a lot a lot, and hard sometimes. rains nearly every day for 3/4 of the year..... Yet, people still freak out, turn on their hazard lights, go 5, really, 5 mph, because they can't drive for shit in the dry conditions, then add rain, oh dear God.