Hazard Lights in Rain Rant...

Oddly specific, 52mph. But yes, I agree, that would be impressive and fun to watch.

 

I like it.. before people drove with their hazards on I used to run into cars constantly. Now it doesn't happen as much. Thanks everyone!

 

Well said!

 

52 mph seems to be the sweet spot for my fuel economy. 53mph and up it drinks fuel like a V8. Looking back on the last 13 years I probably should have just bought a fork lift, instead but it is what it is

 

You should have, you'd be drowning in pussy by now

 

Don't think it has the do with visibility, I think its more of a I'm doing something unusual lookout kind of thing. Like needing to go very slow for some reason, weather or mechanical failure. Were I live we get thunderstorms the can cause very low visibility at a moments notice people put there flasher on cause they are going 30 on the highway because of the rain.

 

But if EVERYONE turns on their emergency flashers in that situation it quickly becomes dangerous. Extremely difficult to determine which cars have applied their brakes, which cars are using turn signals, and which cars are actually having an emergency. It becomes a mass of flashing lights in a downpour. Where I live it is illegal, but unfortunately I've never seen anyone ticketed for it.

 

I’ve seen it done by others, I don’t have the need to but it doesn’t bother me.

 

It is legal, even encouraged, in about 1/2 the states. Illegal in the other 1/2. Personally, under the right conditions I think it is a good idea. Technically they should be used when the vehicle is stopped. But if road conditions are such that I can't drive over 20-25 mph on a road with a 60-70 mph speed limit that is close enough to stopped for me. This is how you get the multi-car pile-ups in bad weather. Some dude driving 60 mph comes up on slow traffic doing 25 mph and plows into all of them. The same thing repeats over and over again. Flashers might get their attention that something is wrong.

In mountains truckers that can't do more than 20-25 mph to get up steep inclines use them even in good weather.

 

It use to be illegal here in Fl to drive in the rain with them on, I think they recently changed it. We also have the wipers on lights on rule.
These dipshit drivers will sit in the fast lane going slow as hell lights off and flashers on. It does make it difficult to see them hit the brakes at times especially during the harder rain.
Now when I encounter them I sit behind them with my high beams or light bar on until they move over.
If they feel the need to be seen I am happy to help. If you feel the need to have your hazards on you need to move your ass to the slow lane, or off to the shoulder.

 

But you can’t plan for anyone to hit you rain, snow or sun. And there’s always a potential for someone to do that. You can’t fix stupid. Everyday I get passed by someone going 30+ faster than me.

If you’re going that slow you’re able to stop fairly quickly. So if everyone is going 25 and only one guy going 70, I don’t think that will cause a pile up by itself. I do think once that wreck happens, there might be a pile up after but only because people aren’t paying attention, texting, following too close, etc..

Like you said in your very last sentence, it’s for when something is wrong (a hazard). Not something that is obviously apparent to everyone around (the weather).

I think most highways with a max of 60-70 have a minimum of like 40-45, right? See where I’m going with this? So if you’re only going 20-25 due to weather, mechanical issues, or otherwise, you shouldn’t be driving on the highway due not being able to meet minimum speed. If you don’t feel safe driving at speed for whatever reason, that’s fine, better safe than sorry. But pull over off the road, stop, then turn on your hazards.

 

I think you’re allowed 10 mph under the limit

 

I mock them all the time (in very light traffic) by flashing my own hazards at them.

We usually see it in snow. I hate it.

Oddly though, in a white out, its actually helpful, I can spot a car quicker than if they don't have the hazards on.

 

I agree. If it supposedly makes everyone safer then we should ALL turn our hazards on right? Everybody turn the hazards on! Hundreds of cars on the freeway, all driving through the same rain storm, hazards blinking away! Everyone feel safer now?

It doesn't make sense. If the car next to me feels like they need the extra lights to keep ME from hitting THEM, then shouldn't I have my lights on too so THEY don't hit ME? Where does it end?

It's silly and unnecessary. If you can't see other cars with the standard lights on you shouldn't be driving. If you get nervous just driving in rain, maybe you shouldn't be driving

And for the love of god, whatever you do, DO IT OVER TO THE RIGHT OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY

 

Anytime your on the Interstate and your speed drops 20 mph below the speed limit your hazard lights need to be on to keep people from driving under your trailer .I would always be in the far right lane any time my speed was that much slower .

Crawling up and down Mountains at any time. It started out company policy for insurance premium reductions just became a habit.I am sure that one $200.00 ticket helped make it a habit.

Unless of course the speed limit has been reduced by law enforcement for an accident or weather conditions.

 

If visibility is great enough that you can see ahead of the car in front of you, then yeah, everyone’s dumb for using them. Never disagreed with that train of thought. My point hasn’t really changed; if visibility is so poor that you can’t see taillights in front of you, I’m happy to see flashers. And if I can’t see taillights in front of me, that means the person behind me can’t see mine either, so mine are going on until visibility improves. Maybe it doesn’t make sense to people who live in states where it’s prohibited, but it’s literally taught in half the states, just as NOT using them is taught in half the states. We could disagree all day long, but so long as someone’s in a state that allows it, they might as well get used to it. I understand many don’t get too many opportunities to drive through flash flood conditions, but it’s a normal occurrence in many places.

 

Hazard lights in the rain don't bother me nearly as much as raptor lights on a Tacoma.

There, I said it.

 

But if visibility is as bad as you state in your post, there is an argument to be made that EVERYONE should have their flashers on... and be pulled over to the side of the road.

 

The USA is a big country what works well in some areas is down right really dumb in others.

What about flashing lights on buggies you would think everyone should know horses do not move that fast so they should not be needed yet all to often people rear end a buggy which never ends well. Even with the slow moving vehicles triangles displayed

 

yeah, thats the entire point; the argument to be made is there - hence why OP see's people all over the road with them on in heavy rain. As for the "and be pulled over to the side of the road", thats really the only disconnect. When in states that permit flashers while in motion, there's no need. When in states that do not permit flashers in motion, yes pull over. Again, nobody is saying one choice is "better"; it just boils down to what your state does/doesn't permit. Its annoying, yes; but so are a million other state specific regulations that don't carry over state to state.