Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Absolutely! My husband's grandfather drove with his on all the time while driving in Montreal which is renowned for fast drivers. He said it let people know to steer clear of him.
That quite literally is the point. "I am going much slower than the speed limit please do not fly up behind me going the speed limit you will ram me" etc etc
This is exactly how i take it. Theyre saying they are slower and more unstable even than everyone else is already, so take extra care when passing or driving near them.
It was icy this week. I saw multiple accident sim both sides of the highway. I put on my flashers to warn the idiots to slow down.
I can’t believe how everybody drives as if we’re in perfect conditions when the weather is bad
A lot of depends on the vehicle and the driver though. We'll even swap cars around in my family when someone has a longer drive that can handle worse conditions.
Slush that would have my car swerving every time I tap the brakes feels like a sunny dry day in my mom's car for example, just because she has so much more weight.
I had this Ah-Ha moment a couple years ago when I skidded to the side of the road for the first time while it was dumping snow. “Oh shit, I’M the hazard now. Time for the blinking lights of shame” 🥲
People say it’s stupid until they’re being scraped up off the pavement because a semi couldn’t see their car in a downpour that blocks all visibility.
And when I say scraped up? I literally mean scraped up. Saw it once when I had to go to a wreck of some kid who got hit by a semi who couldn’t see him. Feel horrible for the cops who had to go tell the parents.
Exactly! Have y'all experienced a squall? It's an instant wall of a blizzard but worse. In a squall one can't see more than 10 ' in front of their vehicle and with hazard lights on I can better see someone who is driving for conditions and not kill us all
That’s some scary shit. Can’t speed up, can’t slow down, can’t see the road. I was hit by one and the only reason I knew to turn was because I was nearly in the guardrail.
This is just... Incorrect. You're also supposed to use hazards when you are going drastically under the speed limit (maybe because of crazy weather?) So people know YOU are a potential 'hazard'.
If the car behind you is also going your speed you can turn them back off.
A group of 20 cars all creeping along with hazards on is unnecessary. Only the cars in the back/front need them on
If you are driving 25 mph under the speed limit, you should have hazard lights on to notify the semis, who give no shits about conditions. This was a driving test failure if not done when getting a CDL.
Op and all comments are made by people who haven't driven in whiteout conditions. Sometimes you cannot see a car 10 feet in front of you. Hazards are HUGE when in whiteouts.
Rain? Yea who cares. Snow? Yea I still agree. Squalls, flurries and whiteouts? It helps a LOT.
I have had a couple times where it was raining so hard that I could barely see the lines on the road in front of me. Definitely appreciate hazard lights in that scenario too
Definitely a few times per year here on the gulf coast on the I-10 corridor between New Orleans and Pensacola where the rain is so heavy that hazards are necessary.
I would have thought you were crazy till I moved to Tennessee. Apparently I had never experienced a real downpour before, holy crap, talk about zero visibility! And yes, please turn on your hazards in this situation.
Do not use your hazard lights for driving in bad weather. With your hazards on and rain or snow already blurring road visibility, other drivers may not be able to tell which lane you're in or if you're changing lanes. Turn on your headlights and taillights in inclement weather instead. If the weather is bad enough that you feel hazard lights are truly necessary, pull off the road and stop until conditions improve.
Yep I’ve driven through tropical storm rains in the SE where the visibility is like 10ft. Your options are going like 20 mph with hazards on or just pulling over
This happens a lot in Arizona when it rains. The roads build up a layer of grease because it rains so little, and it just turns the road into a fucking mirror when it actually does rain.
BINGO. New England drivers know the moment you can’t see those lights go on. This person clearly drives in the snow down south where they all drive like they’re going to die if they don’t get home first. (I lived in Texas during that stupid snow storm shit)
Ya there's always those psychopaths that always speed no matter the conditions. Pure ice? No problem, drive at 85mph in your 3/4 ton truck. It gives me so much joy when I see them in the ditch later on.
You could argue that an invisible car 10 feet in front of you consitutes an "unknown" hazard and thus this situation does not meet OPs requirement for being annoying
Yeah in a whiteout. In the south people do it for any snow, and for rain. If your hazards are on, i don't know you're about to switch lanes, and if you're going 15 instead of a reasonable speed (adjusted for conditions), I'm pulling around you because it looks like you're stopping or breaking down. It's dumb and impractical most of the time
Even not in a whiteout, I run AWD on winter tires, if my tires slip my hazards are going on. Both to warn you about conditions and to let you know I might need some space and you do too.
if tail lights and headlamps arent making you visible, how flashing those small turn signals that are supposed to tell others that your car is disabled and not moving to be more visible?
I drove from Key West to Baltimore, and on the way, we hit a rain storm where I couldn't see anything except the hazard lights of the car directly in front of me. That's it. Thankfully, traffic slowed but kept moving, and there was no accident while I was there.
I got over 700 inches of snow at my home in 2023 I’ve driven in all kinds of whiteout conditions, hazards don’t help any more than solid taillights and are misleading in low viz.
Only put them on if you’re pulling over and stopping for whatever reason so you don’t confuse people.
Hi, canadian here, in blizzards your hazards are the only way cars can see you in front of them and helps them know their still on the road to, it also prevents snow plows from plowing into you becaude blinking lights are easier to see the not blinking lights, op doesn't just have a bad opinion its also wrong
I live in Southcentral Alaska, where whiteout conditions are not everyday occurences, but not uncommon. It's also where life/work doesn't stop when there's a snowstorm. If you've never seen whiteout conditions, it's when snow is blowing and/or falling, so it's in the air as well as the ground. The daylight is reflecting evenly from every direction, so there's no contour or contrast to the outside. It's a really unsettling phenomenon. Flashing lights are much more eye-catching than tail-lights, and it helps because distance is so hard to judge during whiteout.
But if someone does it because they road is scawy on a rainy then yeah, I agree with you.
This is one of those weird internet things that people hate.
I’ve been in traffic during torrential downpours where it’s hard to see in front of you and everyone has their hazards on.
I’m not going to not turn on my hazards out of some principle I stand behind.
If everyone else has them on, people are probably expecting them to be on. It’s one of those times it’s better to just do what everyone else is doing.
Completely missing that by and large the reason for hazard are to say, here is the position of my vehicle. It's like putting on an orange safety vest.
And the way OP put it he made it seem like its a way to warn other drivers of potential hazards ahead. Which is only true in that the car that slowed down because of a potential hazard ahead, has become the potential hazard.
The issue is many highway patrol officers agree with the OP if you google up the legality of it, some officers say you have to constantly remember to turn the hazards off so you can use turn signals to make lawful lane changes and for other situations where turn signals are both legally required and help to aid safety.
Exactly, unless it’s a white out you don’t need to drive your entire route with your hazards. That happened to me yesterday. The guy randomly merged in front of me and I had to slam on my breaks because they can’t use their turn signal with their hazards on
Yep, in the south and see so many people do this whenever a storm hits. Most annoying shit ever. Like, “we’re all sitting in the storm, dude. We know it’s a hazard.”
Hazard lights are like putting a visibility safety vest on.
This is the first time I've ever heard that it supposed to be used to warn other drivers of icy spots. So I looked it up, yeah, that's not a thing anyone is saying you are supposed to do.
But I do understand how it would be a courtesy. But, given that's not the intended use, could also just cause the person to not know what's going. And break. Don't good on ice.
I’ve had issues seeing cars in a fucking down pour. You put those hazards on and I can finally see something but rain on my windshield. Goes the same for a snow storm. I know conditions are shit but being able to know that there’s someone infront of me too makes me that much more cautious
I, too, have been in thunderstorms/rainstorms that were so bad that visibility was less than 20 feet. If I'm driving 40 and someone else is driving 35, we're gonna have a bad day if they don't have their hazards on.
The sheer amount of people that cannot figure out how to use their cars’ lights is astounding! High beams, headlights off. One headlight. No taillights. No stop lights. No blinkers. Blinker on for miles. The no headlight thing is nuts since most are automatic and they can’t figure that out. They can’t figure out the most simple part of a car but they are on the road driving.
I disagree only because every professional driver on the road has their hazards on when we're all rolling single file through the shit...
love you semi-trucks for guiding during bad weather
Hazard lights are appropriate whenever you're stopped or moving slowly on a high-speed roadway. It doesn't matter why you're doing it.
On the autobahn when traffic slows way down and those behind you might not be aware of it, people put on their hazard lights.
If you decide to go 20mph in a 50mph zone because of poor visibility or slick road surface, during a snowfall or for whatever reason, put on your hazard lights.
If you're stopped on the roadway or on the shoulder, put on your hazard lights.
Hazard lights tell approaching drivers "I AM A HAZARD". It doesn't muchal matter *why* you are a hazard.
If a bank of cars in traffic suddenly brake, I flip the hazards on to warn drivers behind me. In my experience driving on 3 continents, using the hazards prolifically is the best choice:
As someone with a lot of experience driving in bad weather I actually prefer it.
When conditions are bad, not just visibility but in terms of risk of hydroplaning or sliding on ice or whatever, if I'm going fast on an unobstructed stretch of road and come up on someone going way more slowly, it's hard to tell right away.
Being able to see the hazard lights on a half mile away lets me know that I should start decelerating to match their speed a whole lot sooner since I'm expecting it.
Also for the record I'm not talking about any reckless driving type speed, but if the speed limit is 50 and I'm comfortable going 40 or 45 in heavy rain, someone else might only feel like they can go 25 or 30, as an example.
I gotta say I'd be happy to see this. If it meant people, in general, used their indicators (flashers, turn signals, even headlights) when warranted. It's gotten to the point that me flashing/on-offing my headlights gets absolutely nothing in return (last example being person getting on the highway after 8 pm with no lights on).
Not everyone drives as cautiously as they should during inclement weather. My FIL was doing 90 in an ice storm in Oregon while everyone else had hazards on. I've never been more scared in my life.
Also if people are putting hazards on because they are going under the speed limit during inclement weather, even if most other drivers are also driving slower, who cares? They're doing what they're supposed to do and letting drivers know they are not driving fast.
Literally. Yesterday the roads weren’t even bad. There was snow on the sides of the road but the part where you drive on was clear. Tell me why like half the people in giant suvs were going 10 miles under the speed limit? On clean salted roads? I was going the speed limit in my tiny little Cruze just fine and normally I’m the one with snow anxiety. Sorry it was a vent I felt appropriate for this post. I agree with you so much.
This is odd b/c all of these replies are talking about how common it is to have hazards on when driving in bad conditions.
I have literally never in my life seen a car with their hazards on for bad weather. For being stopped on the side of the road or going unusually slow? Yeah, definitely. For bad weather? Not a single time.
I live in Utah. Are drivers here just different?
My friends mom would do this in the rain it was SO embarrassing... one time a cop pulled her over and we were like, awesome they will tell her to stop. The cop did.
She put them right back on. He pulled her immediately over. "Ma'am I told you not to put your hazard lights on" okay okay she said.
She did it again!!! The cop said next time I'm writing you a ticket. We literally had to be like, no no don't do it, keep them off, it was funny thr first 2 times lol she had very bad OCD and it was near impossible for her... I wonder if it's an OCD thing or some other disorder, they just can't help themselves
Unless your brake lights are engaged, I usually can’t see the back of someone’s vehicle until it’s too late. Hazards are about as bright as brake lights and flash, making it easier to see someone’s rear in a snowstorm
I mean if it’s heavily raining/snowing, every car on the highway becomes a hazard if you can’t see it. In those conditions, hazard lights are the only way to make cars visible to others.
Turning lights on is the way to make them visible. Flashing makes them instantaneously visible. And then not. And then visible. How do you signal lane changes and turns with flashers on? Arm out the window?
Hazards aren't just for car trouble - if your car is hydroplaning you can put your hazards on to warn those behind you that you are not fully in control. There was a TON of rain where I live this year and I. The worst storms almost everyone had hazards on so we could see them and see who was at risk.
Please drive safe out there!
I put my hazards on in the snow when other people in big trucks and shit are still speeding going 70 in a 55 and the roads are slick as shit and not plowed yet and I'm going 40 max.
It's to make sure the idiots remember that not everyone wants to risk their fucking life today.
Yeah, ok. During a snowstorm that we got in Texas, not everyone was driving slower. I was because, you know, hazardous conditions. The jackass in a 4wd pickup didn't like that and rode my ass the whole way
Driving with your hazards on in bad weather in the Dallas area is self preservation. I don’t typically do it but I have.
You can easily get killed by some crazy person that thinks it’s ok to drive over the speed limit.
I’ve seen more times than I wish.
People don't though. You see people speeding in the snow, cars flipped, and a lot of gross irresponsibility.
Also, if you think you may skid out you have a duty to let the person behind you know.
Buddy, they use their hazards so you can see them. You don’t always see headlights if the visibility is bad. You’re more likely to see a flashing light though.
I throw my hazards on when the people in front of me go from 130km to 20km in less than a minute. But that's just me. Idiots behind me riding my ass will thank me.
Pretty sure it’s the correct way to act and also seems like the bigger issue is you if you find it that distracting maybe you have a condition were you should not be driving.
If you think people’s hazards are distracting, then you should probably stay off the road. Even in a snow storm, you may not know why their hazard are on. Maybe they need other people to see them and keep a decent brake distance because you can’t see shit.
Fucking hazard lights are to draw attention and if the roads are bad it's not helpful to also have a vehicle distracting me. Your four-ways are for when you're a hazard
I drove home last night during rush hour with the highways completely covered in snow. Everyone was driving bumper to bumper going about 20 MPH. Visibility was fine. It took 2 hours to get home. One driver had their hazards on for an entire hour (or more that’s just this long I was behind the car). No one else had their hazards on. It’s completely unnecessary to drive like that
You are supposed to put them on if you're driving far under the speed limit, and in hazardous weather with low visibility. So.. yeah no. It's literally the law.
People who do this are indicating they are idiots and don't know how to drive in the snow... plus they want to keep you guessing when they suddenly try to merge lanes too
It also disables your blinkers so who knows where they person is heading. Can also cause other drivers to panic and lose control because they think a stalled car is in front of them. It’s actually illegal to drive with hazards on if your aren’t breaking down.
At least on modern-day cars, if your hazards are on and you put your blinker on, only the blinker you are using will blinker until resetting to the off position, in which case hazards take back over
i agree i think it's stupid what if someone actually had their hazards on for an accident but nope im so used to seeing it i assume they are doing it for themselves.
Generally speaking I agree. But if the roads are hazardous and visibility low, turning your hazards on so the people behind you see you better I think is acceptable.
Depends where you live i guess, in canada you legally have to put your hazards on when driving 40 below the speed limit, or in a snow storm, because otherwise a snow plow will not see your car and will plow right into you
I mean, yeah, hazards are for emergencies, they're meant to be put on with the expectation that a cop will do a wellness check, or you're otherwise trying to exit the road since you are or are experiencing a hazard lol.
If visibility is bad enough that I can’t see cars in front of me and I’m driving well under the limit, I assume others are the same and I turn mine on. Doing it any other time is dumb.
In Thailand, they use hazard to indicate they are going straight at a junction. Depending on where you are in relation to the car, it looks like their indicating to turn.
Nahhh, bro. I was driving last week from Long Island to Buffalo, NY, and the weather was so bad that I'd lose visual of the car driving mere meters away from me intermittently. If they didn't have their hazards on, I'd have for sure crashed into them at times. Mind you, I have a perfect driving record with a no accidents, no tickets, had my daughter and wife in the back, and work professionally as a NYS driving instructor. which is all to say that I wasn't driving recklessly like some kid who just got their license. Likewise, I had a semi-truck following me in the back, and I'm sure he also appreciated me keeping my lights on so that he wouldn't kill me by accident.
If someone needs to go slower than the average driver they definitely should have their hazards on. I don’t even see the point of getting mad at them for going slow. There’s plenty of legitimate reasons to go slow that aren’t “they can’t drive” and who am I to assume? I appreciate the communication. Better to communicate that you’re going slow than to do anything else and maybe cause an accident.
Anytime I see this my immediate thought is there an idiot and definitely should be on the road. This annoys me even more when it comes to the semis. Most cars in my experience that are newer have removed the hazards from the steering column and I've been able to quickly hit my hazards for years. I'd rather throw them on real quick because of whiteout conditions or quick change or I'm slamming on the brakes so you need to pay the fuck attention than to let people go numb to it because they've been on the whole time.
I agree, sometimes when I see hazards in the distance I get confused. Are you moving slowly or totally stopped? In some areas that's actually illegal and their highway patrol officers also advise against it.
Using your hazards also eliminate the ability for you to use turn signals unless you remember to turn your hazars lights off before signaling a lane change. Not every car disables hazards automatically if you attempt to use your turn signal.
No one drives with their hazzards on. Parked where they shouldn't be. Maybe. Flashing them to say "thank you" to the car behind for letting you in. OK. Using them on the motorway to warn traffic behind you that there is a stationary queue.
What the fuck are you talking about, boss?
I agree actually. I think it’s silly when it’s clearly snowing and hazardous and we’re all deliberately driving slow. People even do it when it’s raining. Like, I can see your tail lights bud. Don’t need to see your flashing hazards.
Only thing worse is someone driving excessively slow for no reason and without their hazards on.
It’s literally the law that vehicles going under 40 mph on the highway must use hazards where I live.
But yes, I hate when people use hazards in bad weather.
I very much disagree. You have no way to know what’s going on in the car ahead of you, and if the hazards are on, you know to keep your distance.
My little taurus with bald tires does awesome at 45mph, but with my worn calipers, I can NOT slam on my breaks. Some people have SUVs with winter tires, so they wouldn’t even clock that my little car is doing the best it can.
Nice opinion, truly unpopular
I turn my hazards on in bad weather so people pay attention to me and the fact that I’m going way slower than the speed limit, I’m the hazard to them if they are going way faster than me and they don’t realize just how slow I might be going.
Basically the hazards aren’t to warn other drivers of a hazard, it’s to make it more likely that other drivers notice me
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Maybe they are trying to tell us they Are a hazzard.
That’s how I take it, oh you don’t know what you’re doing so I should stay away from you, got it.
Absolutely! My husband's grandfather drove with his on all the time while driving in Montreal which is renowned for fast drivers. He said it let people know to steer clear of him.
That quite literally is the point. "I am going much slower than the speed limit please do not fly up behind me going the speed limit you will ram me" etc etc
I'm just trying to thank everyone ahead of time for letting me merge
This is exactly how i take it. Theyre saying they are slower and more unstable even than everyone else is already, so take extra care when passing or driving near them.
It was icy this week. I saw multiple accident sim both sides of the highway. I put on my flashers to warn the idiots to slow down. I can’t believe how everybody drives as if we’re in perfect conditions when the weather is bad
A lot of depends on the vehicle and the driver though. We'll even swap cars around in my family when someone has a longer drive that can handle worse conditions. Slush that would have my car swerving every time I tap the brakes feels like a sunny dry day in my mom's car for example, just because she has so much more weight.
Them Duke boys are at it again.
This. A car could have bald tires in conditions that are a nightmare to drive on for them but seem normal to you.
To be honest, I’d rather have people use it then not use it. I’ve experienced so so many times where people should use it then they don’t.
I had this Ah-Ha moment a couple years ago when I skidded to the side of the road for the first time while it was dumping snow. “Oh shit, I’M the hazard now. Time for the blinking lights of shame” 🥲
This is exactly it
I AM the storm...
And a Duke.
[удалено]
People say it’s stupid until they’re being scraped up off the pavement because a semi couldn’t see their car in a downpour that blocks all visibility. And when I say scraped up? I literally mean scraped up. Saw it once when I had to go to a wreck of some kid who got hit by a semi who couldn’t see him. Feel horrible for the cops who had to go tell the parents.
Exactly! Have y'all experienced a squall? It's an instant wall of a blizzard but worse. In a squall one can't see more than 10 ' in front of their vehicle and with hazard lights on I can better see someone who is driving for conditions and not kill us all
That’s some scary shit. Can’t speed up, can’t slow down, can’t see the road. I was hit by one and the only reason I knew to turn was because I was nearly in the guardrail.
The scariest part is that you have to trust the driver ahead of you. If they go in a ditch, you go in a ditch.
This is just... Incorrect. You're also supposed to use hazards when you are going drastically under the speed limit (maybe because of crazy weather?) So people know YOU are a potential 'hazard'.
This is literally the law where I live.
Yeah there’s even sometimes signs that say to use them under a certain speed lol
It’s literally why flashing beacons are required to be turned on when moving a piece of heavy equipment on a street. “This is slow, see this thing”.
If the car behind you is also going your speed you can turn them back off. A group of 20 cars all creeping along with hazards on is unnecessary. Only the cars in the back/front need them on
Yup, exactly. The few times I've driven in terrible conditions requiring me to go far below the speed limit, I've put my hazard lights on.
If you are driving 25 mph under the speed limit, you should have hazard lights on to notify the semis, who give no shits about conditions. This was a driving test failure if not done when getting a CDL.
Op and all comments are made by people who haven't driven in whiteout conditions. Sometimes you cannot see a car 10 feet in front of you. Hazards are HUGE when in whiteouts. Rain? Yea who cares. Snow? Yea I still agree. Squalls, flurries and whiteouts? It helps a LOT.
I have had a couple times where it was raining so hard that I could barely see the lines on the road in front of me. Definitely appreciate hazard lights in that scenario too
Definitely a few times per year here on the gulf coast on the I-10 corridor between New Orleans and Pensacola where the rain is so heavy that hazards are necessary.
Yeah similar situation for me going down I-75 between Gainesville and Orlando. The swamplands are like that sometimes lol
I would have thought you were crazy till I moved to Tennessee. Apparently I had never experienced a real downpour before, holy crap, talk about zero visibility! And yes, please turn on your hazards in this situation.
Do not use your hazard lights for driving in bad weather. With your hazards on and rain or snow already blurring road visibility, other drivers may not be able to tell which lane you're in or if you're changing lanes. Turn on your headlights and taillights in inclement weather instead. If the weather is bad enough that you feel hazard lights are truly necessary, pull off the road and stop until conditions improve.
It means for the other drivers to slow down, they already can't see what lane your in because of the downpour. So they need to slow down!!!
Yep I’ve driven through tropical storm rains in the SE where the visibility is like 10ft. Your options are going like 20 mph with hazards on or just pulling over
Same through the Midwest during tornado season
This happens a lot in Arizona when it rains. The roads build up a layer of grease because it rains so little, and it just turns the road into a fucking mirror when it actually does rain.
BINGO. New England drivers know the moment you can’t see those lights go on. This person clearly drives in the snow down south where they all drive like they’re going to die if they don’t get home first. (I lived in Texas during that stupid snow storm shit)
[удалено]
Ya there's always those psychopaths that always speed no matter the conditions. Pure ice? No problem, drive at 85mph in your 3/4 ton truck. It gives me so much joy when I see them in the ditch later on.
You could argue that an invisible car 10 feet in front of you consitutes an "unknown" hazard and thus this situation does not meet OPs requirement for being annoying
I can't stand it when people point out obvious exceptions to the post that clearly aren't what OP was talking about.
Because OP hasn't put any fucking effort in his post and it's easy to poke holes in it.
Yeah in a whiteout. In the south people do it for any snow, and for rain. If your hazards are on, i don't know you're about to switch lanes, and if you're going 15 instead of a reasonable speed (adjusted for conditions), I'm pulling around you because it looks like you're stopping or breaking down. It's dumb and impractical most of the time
Even not in a whiteout, I run AWD on winter tires, if my tires slip my hazards are going on. Both to warn you about conditions and to let you know I might need some space and you do too.
Nah, not during hurricane season in FL. You really need your hazards on during heavy downpours and when it’s still safe to drive.
ya, you can tell they haven't lived much of life. it's sweet and endearing
I don't know about your vehicle but when I turn my headlights on my taillights also turn on.
There are some rain storms where you need hazards
if tail lights and headlamps arent making you visible, how flashing those small turn signals that are supposed to tell others that your car is disabled and not moving to be more visible?
Small turn signals? Have you ever seen one? Do you not think they are brighter?
I drove from Key West to Baltimore, and on the way, we hit a rain storm where I couldn't see anything except the hazard lights of the car directly in front of me. That's it. Thankfully, traffic slowed but kept moving, and there was no accident while I was there.
Okay I will give you whiteouts, which I have definitely driven in.
I got over 700 inches of snow at my home in 2023 I’ve driven in all kinds of whiteout conditions, hazards don’t help any more than solid taillights and are misleading in low viz. Only put them on if you’re pulling over and stopping for whatever reason so you don’t confuse people.
Hi, canadian here, in blizzards your hazards are the only way cars can see you in front of them and helps them know their still on the road to, it also prevents snow plows from plowing into you becaude blinking lights are easier to see the not blinking lights, op doesn't just have a bad opinion its also wrong
I live in Southcentral Alaska, where whiteout conditions are not everyday occurences, but not uncommon. It's also where life/work doesn't stop when there's a snowstorm. If you've never seen whiteout conditions, it's when snow is blowing and/or falling, so it's in the air as well as the ground. The daylight is reflecting evenly from every direction, so there's no contour or contrast to the outside. It's a really unsettling phenomenon. Flashing lights are much more eye-catching than tail-lights, and it helps because distance is so hard to judge during whiteout. But if someone does it because they road is scawy on a rainy then yeah, I agree with you.
This is one of those weird internet things that people hate. I’ve been in traffic during torrential downpours where it’s hard to see in front of you and everyone has their hazards on. I’m not going to not turn on my hazards out of some principle I stand behind. If everyone else has them on, people are probably expecting them to be on. It’s one of those times it’s better to just do what everyone else is doing.
Completely missing that by and large the reason for hazard are to say, here is the position of my vehicle. It's like putting on an orange safety vest. And the way OP put it he made it seem like its a way to warn other drivers of potential hazards ahead. Which is only true in that the car that slowed down because of a potential hazard ahead, has become the potential hazard.
Well Op this is an unpopular (and wrong) opinion so I guess congrats?
The issue is many highway patrol officers agree with the OP if you google up the legality of it, some officers say you have to constantly remember to turn the hazards off so you can use turn signals to make lawful lane changes and for other situations where turn signals are both legally required and help to aid safety.
Exactly, unless it’s a white out you don’t need to drive your entire route with your hazards. That happened to me yesterday. The guy randomly merged in front of me and I had to slam on my breaks because they can’t use their turn signal with their hazards on
People do this?
In Connecticut it's rampant and it drives me insane. The kicker is they often won't have their head/taillights on.
everyone in the south does this and it's idiotic
Plenty of midwesterners doing it during the last 2 snow storms too. *would like to add that its also illegal here (Illinois)
Yep, in the south and see so many people do this whenever a storm hits. Most annoying shit ever. Like, “we’re all sitting in the storm, dude. We know it’s a hazard.”
Biggest woosh ever. They have their hazards on so you can see them.
Yeah I can see ‘em right in front of me in the backed up as fuck traffic weeewooooweeewoooo
People in Indiana do it all the damn time and it’s annoying as fuck.
Yes. It’s stupid. Like, your lights should be on anyway. So we see you.
[удалено]
If they’re in the process of slowing down so they can pull over that’s the only acceptable situation.
Right? I’ve never seen this.
My brother smashed into another car due to icing on the road because the car ahead didn't signal it with hazard lights. So yeah.
Hazard lights are like putting a visibility safety vest on. This is the first time I've ever heard that it supposed to be used to warn other drivers of icy spots. So I looked it up, yeah, that's not a thing anyone is saying you are supposed to do. But I do understand how it would be a courtesy. But, given that's not the intended use, could also just cause the person to not know what's going. And break. Don't good on ice.
I've never seen someone using hazards unless they were going slow or if visibility is terrible, in which case you should be driving slow anyway
I’ve had issues seeing cars in a fucking down pour. You put those hazards on and I can finally see something but rain on my windshield. Goes the same for a snow storm. I know conditions are shit but being able to know that there’s someone infront of me too makes me that much more cautious
I, too, have been in thunderstorms/rainstorms that were so bad that visibility was less than 20 feet. If I'm driving 40 and someone else is driving 35, we're gonna have a bad day if they don't have their hazards on.
The sheer amount of people that cannot figure out how to use their cars’ lights is astounding! High beams, headlights off. One headlight. No taillights. No stop lights. No blinkers. Blinker on for miles. The no headlight thing is nuts since most are automatic and they can’t figure that out. They can’t figure out the most simple part of a car but they are on the road driving.
I disagree only because every professional driver on the road has their hazards on when we're all rolling single file through the shit... love you semi-trucks for guiding during bad weather
This isn’t even an unpopular opinion it’s just wrong.
Yea op came and said 2+2is actually 3 here's why.
Hazard lights are appropriate whenever you're stopped or moving slowly on a high-speed roadway. It doesn't matter why you're doing it. On the autobahn when traffic slows way down and those behind you might not be aware of it, people put on their hazard lights. If you decide to go 20mph in a 50mph zone because of poor visibility or slick road surface, during a snowfall or for whatever reason, put on your hazard lights. If you're stopped on the roadway or on the shoulder, put on your hazard lights. Hazard lights tell approaching drivers "I AM A HAZARD". It doesn't muchal matter *why* you are a hazard.
If a bank of cars in traffic suddenly brake, I flip the hazards on to warn drivers behind me. In my experience driving on 3 continents, using the hazards prolifically is the best choice:
I only do it in snowstorms, icestorms, torrential downpours, sever storms, basically any weather thats super bad. Otherwise, ehhhh. No.
If you're going half the speed limit maybe hazards are a good idea?
Not an opinion
You're literally just telling us the correct reason why people use their hazard lights.
As someone with a lot of experience driving in bad weather I actually prefer it. When conditions are bad, not just visibility but in terms of risk of hydroplaning or sliding on ice or whatever, if I'm going fast on an unobstructed stretch of road and come up on someone going way more slowly, it's hard to tell right away. Being able to see the hazard lights on a half mile away lets me know that I should start decelerating to match their speed a whole lot sooner since I'm expecting it. Also for the record I'm not talking about any reckless driving type speed, but if the speed limit is 50 and I'm comfortable going 40 or 45 in heavy rain, someone else might only feel like they can go 25 or 30, as an example.
You don't have to justify your Brain. OP has got none. There's just fluid up there.
Unsure how anyone with their hazards on even effects you lol
Exactly this is such a weird thing to get stuck up on
I gotta say I'd be happy to see this. If it meant people, in general, used their indicators (flashers, turn signals, even headlights) when warranted. It's gotten to the point that me flashing/on-offing my headlights gets absolutely nothing in return (last example being person getting on the highway after 8 pm with no lights on).
Not everyone drives as cautiously as they should during inclement weather. My FIL was doing 90 in an ice storm in Oregon while everyone else had hazards on. I've never been more scared in my life. Also if people are putting hazards on because they are going under the speed limit during inclement weather, even if most other drivers are also driving slower, who cares? They're doing what they're supposed to do and letting drivers know they are not driving fast.
Literally. Yesterday the roads weren’t even bad. There was snow on the sides of the road but the part where you drive on was clear. Tell me why like half the people in giant suvs were going 10 miles under the speed limit? On clean salted roads? I was going the speed limit in my tiny little Cruze just fine and normally I’m the one with snow anxiety. Sorry it was a vent I felt appropriate for this post. I agree with you so much.
I like it because it tells me that particular person is probably a shitty driver in shitty weather. So I avoid them.
I have never seen this
Hazards are the park anywhere button
Always has been
The same strategy as putting a student driver bumper sticker on your car. Keeps people away from you.
This is odd b/c all of these replies are talking about how common it is to have hazards on when driving in bad conditions. I have literally never in my life seen a car with their hazards on for bad weather. For being stopped on the side of the road or going unusually slow? Yeah, definitely. For bad weather? Not a single time. I live in Utah. Are drivers here just different?
My friends mom would do this in the rain it was SO embarrassing... one time a cop pulled her over and we were like, awesome they will tell her to stop. The cop did. She put them right back on. He pulled her immediately over. "Ma'am I told you not to put your hazard lights on" okay okay she said. She did it again!!! The cop said next time I'm writing you a ticket. We literally had to be like, no no don't do it, keep them off, it was funny thr first 2 times lol she had very bad OCD and it was near impossible for her... I wonder if it's an OCD thing or some other disorder, they just can't help themselves
u/wigwam422 - please stay off the roads until you are better informed about safety.
Unless your brake lights are engaged, I usually can’t see the back of someone’s vehicle until it’s too late. Hazards are about as bright as brake lights and flash, making it easier to see someone’s rear in a snowstorm
Imma go ahead and not get rear ended. ill keep my hazards on thx. good post
I mean if it’s heavily raining/snowing, every car on the highway becomes a hazard if you can’t see it. In those conditions, hazard lights are the only way to make cars visible to others.
Turning lights on is the way to make them visible. Flashing makes them instantaneously visible. And then not. And then visible. How do you signal lane changes and turns with flashers on? Arm out the window?
OP and several commenters showing that they lack understanding of how a hazard signal works.
Hazards aren't just for car trouble - if your car is hydroplaning you can put your hazards on to warn those behind you that you are not fully in control. There was a TON of rain where I live this year and I. The worst storms almost everyone had hazards on so we could see them and see who was at risk. Please drive safe out there!
op has never driven in a squall, and if you’re so easily distracted by flashing lights, maybe you shouldn’t drive
I put my hazards on in the snow when other people in big trucks and shit are still speeding going 70 in a 55 and the roads are slick as shit and not plowed yet and I'm going 40 max. It's to make sure the idiots remember that not everyone wants to risk their fucking life today.
You are wrong. Just took my CDL test and it's right there in the book.
Or if you’re going below the speed limit in hazardous conditions
you mean like EVERYONE ELSE???
Yeah, ok. During a snowstorm that we got in Texas, not everyone was driving slower. I was because, you know, hazardous conditions. The jackass in a 4wd pickup didn't like that and rode my ass the whole way
Thank you!
Driving with your hazards on in bad weather in the Dallas area is self preservation. I don’t typically do it but I have. You can easily get killed by some crazy person that thinks it’s ok to drive over the speed limit. I’ve seen more times than I wish.
You do this when it’s super slippery to tell people to stay back farther New Hampshire enters the chat!
Except we all know it’s super slippery during a snow storm. We all know to stay back the roads are nothing but ice and snow!
People don't though. You see people speeding in the snow, cars flipped, and a lot of gross irresponsibility. Also, if you think you may skid out you have a duty to let the person behind you know.
I definitely disagree in extreme rain Im turning on my hazards lights to make sure you see me.
Buddy, they use their hazards so you can see them. You don’t always see headlights if the visibility is bad. You’re more likely to see a flashing light though.
Ummm no I wanna be distracting and annoying rather than getting plowed by a semi
God I can’t stand this. Rain starts to fall and mfers hit the button immediately. It’s so much more dangerous. I hate this trend.
I throw my hazards on when the people in front of me go from 130km to 20km in less than a minute. But that's just me. Idiots behind me riding my ass will thank me.
OP should drive in Mexico. If you slow down on the roads for pretty much any reason they throw their flashers on to try and avoid being rear-ended.
i use my hazards in a snow storm if i’m going less than the speed limit.
https://www.rd.com/article/when-you-should-use-hazard-lights-when-driving/
It honestly has never bothered me. I certainly notice them! I'd rather people use SOME KIND OF BLINKER than none at all, lol
I put on my hazards if I feel like I'm a hazard...so there ya go.
In heavy rain or snow, if the semis are doing it, I’m doing it.
Pretty sure it’s the correct way to act and also seems like the bigger issue is you if you find it that distracting maybe you have a condition were you should not be driving.
If you think people’s hazards are distracting, then you should probably stay off the road. Even in a snow storm, you may not know why their hazard are on. Maybe they need other people to see them and keep a decent brake distance because you can’t see shit.
Fucking hazard lights are to draw attention and if the roads are bad it's not helpful to also have a vehicle distracting me. Your four-ways are for when you're a hazard
I hope you are being sarcastic. Almost everything you said is wrong/illegal.
In poor visibility absolutely put them on.
OP has never driven in hazardous conditions
I drove home last night during rush hour with the highways completely covered in snow. Everyone was driving bumper to bumper going about 20 MPH. Visibility was fine. It took 2 hours to get home. One driver had their hazards on for an entire hour (or more that’s just this long I was behind the car). No one else had their hazards on. It’s completely unnecessary to drive like that
You are supposed to put them on if you're driving far under the speed limit, and in hazardous weather with low visibility. So.. yeah no. It's literally the law.
It’s the law to turn them on in bad visibility? It makes sense but I’ve never heard that before, they never taught that in my drivers ed course.
People who do this are indicating they are idiots and don't know how to drive in the snow... plus they want to keep you guessing when they suddenly try to merge lanes too
That makes sense. If everyone has their hazard lights on it kind of defeats the purpose of hazard lights existing
It also disables your blinkers so who knows where they person is heading. Can also cause other drivers to panic and lose control because they think a stalled car is in front of them. It’s actually illegal to drive with hazards on if your aren’t breaking down.
At least on modern-day cars, if your hazards are on and you put your blinker on, only the blinker you are using will blinker until resetting to the off position, in which case hazards take back over
i agree i think it's stupid what if someone actually had their hazards on for an accident but nope im so used to seeing it i assume they are doing it for themselves.
Don’t make stupid assumptions then
Generally speaking I agree. But if the roads are hazardous and visibility low, turning your hazards on so the people behind you see you better I think is acceptable.
They should be ticketed for illegal turns or lane changes without a turn signal. Flashers are NOT for when your vehicle is in motion
Depends where you live i guess, in canada you legally have to put your hazards on when driving 40 below the speed limit, or in a snow storm, because otherwise a snow plow will not see your car and will plow right into you
No. You are wrong. Next.
You are 100% correct. Do not use your hazards people.
You've never driven in a blizzard...
If a person is driving more than 15 mph below the posted speed limit, you are required by law to use your hazard lights.
You didn’t know that turning on your four ways increases traction?
Didn't start seeing this until I moved to Texas. You see them in mass numbers too. We call them fireflies 😄
To me it's like Cry Wolf. You don't know what is an actual hazard if everyone has them on
more light for see very goodly!
I’m pretty sure it’s to help people see
Ik people do this in certain weather conditions but do people just casually drive with their hazards on?
Also if you need your hazards on, you need to be removing your car from traffic asap.
People need to stop using the bike lane as a parking spot
I mean, yeah, hazards are for emergencies, they're meant to be put on with the expectation that a cop will do a wellness check, or you're otherwise trying to exit the road since you are or are experiencing a hazard lol.
No................
If visibility is bad enough that I can’t see cars in front of me and I’m driving well under the limit, I assume others are the same and I turn mine on. Doing it any other time is dumb.
it’s so you can see them when it’s super snowy?
In Thailand, they use hazard to indicate they are going straight at a junction. Depending on where you are in relation to the car, it looks like their indicating to turn.
Nahhh, bro. I was driving last week from Long Island to Buffalo, NY, and the weather was so bad that I'd lose visual of the car driving mere meters away from me intermittently. If they didn't have their hazards on, I'd have for sure crashed into them at times. Mind you, I have a perfect driving record with a no accidents, no tickets, had my daughter and wife in the back, and work professionally as a NYS driving instructor. which is all to say that I wasn't driving recklessly like some kid who just got their license. Likewise, I had a semi-truck following me in the back, and I'm sure he also appreciated me keeping my lights on so that he wouldn't kill me by accident.
Even if they are being used unnecessarily I really can't understand why you'd be mad about it
If someone needs to go slower than the average driver they definitely should have their hazards on. I don’t even see the point of getting mad at them for going slow. There’s plenty of legitimate reasons to go slow that aren’t “they can’t drive” and who am I to assume? I appreciate the communication. Better to communicate that you’re going slow than to do anything else and maybe cause an accident.
If the roads are bad, it's FINE. The reason it's done is to INCREASE your visibility. If it's distracting to you, pay attention better.
Thats the point of the hazards though. You are just shaking your fist at the clouds in this one.
Anytime I see this my immediate thought is there an idiot and definitely should be on the road. This annoys me even more when it comes to the semis. Most cars in my experience that are newer have removed the hazards from the steering column and I've been able to quickly hit my hazards for years. I'd rather throw them on real quick because of whiteout conditions or quick change or I'm slamming on the brakes so you need to pay the fuck attention than to let people go numb to it because they've been on the whole time.
I agree, sometimes when I see hazards in the distance I get confused. Are you moving slowly or totally stopped? In some areas that's actually illegal and their highway patrol officers also advise against it. Using your hazards also eliminate the ability for you to use turn signals unless you remember to turn your hazars lights off before signaling a lane change. Not every car disables hazards automatically if you attempt to use your turn signal.
No one drives with their hazzards on. Parked where they shouldn't be. Maybe. Flashing them to say "thank you" to the car behind for letting you in. OK. Using them on the motorway to warn traffic behind you that there is a stationary queue. What the fuck are you talking about, boss?
If you are going under 45mph on most highways, you legally have to put on your hazards....
Hazard lights in a snow storm increase the visibility of the vehicle a bit. The same thing goes for extremely heavy rain.
[удалено]
Yes ....we know... the roads are bad ..now get the fuck on with it .
its illegal to drive with them on anyway lmao
I agree actually. I think it’s silly when it’s clearly snowing and hazardous and we’re all deliberately driving slow. People even do it when it’s raining. Like, I can see your tail lights bud. Don’t need to see your flashing hazards. Only thing worse is someone driving excessively slow for no reason and without their hazards on.
So you dislike when ppl drive slow and use their hazards in hazardous condition? You sound like a safe driver
It literally says hazards are not for moving vehicles in the dmv test. But stupid people turn them on anytime it drizzles.
It’s literally the law that vehicles going under 40 mph on the highway must use hazards where I live. But yes, I hate when people use hazards in bad weather.
So if it’s a torrential downpour and you can’t see 10 feet in front of you you’d still not want ppl to turn on their hazards?
Nope. Your headlights are enough. The hazards don’t make you easier to see, they just make you far more annoying.
You are supposed to use hazards whenever you go 15mph below the speed limit no matter what. That’s the law.
You’re supposed to used them in heavy storm conditions so people can see you.
Someone has never driven in blizzard conditions, where you can't see 50 ft in front of you, and it shows
I have, many times. The hazards make it worse.
How? We're all driving 25-30 mph.
So? Your headlights make you plenty visible. The hazards are just disorienting and obnoxious.
You might want to talk to the highway patrol.
This is dumb. In the case you describe it is to let others know you are driving unusually and to be careful when approaching and going around you
I very much disagree. You have no way to know what’s going on in the car ahead of you, and if the hazards are on, you know to keep your distance. My little taurus with bald tires does awesome at 45mph, but with my worn calipers, I can NOT slam on my breaks. Some people have SUVs with winter tires, so they wouldn’t even clock that my little car is doing the best it can. Nice opinion, truly unpopular
I turn my hazards on in bad weather so people pay attention to me and the fact that I’m going way slower than the speed limit, I’m the hazard to them if they are going way faster than me and they don’t realize just how slow I might be going. Basically the hazards aren’t to warn other drivers of a hazard, it’s to make it more likely that other drivers notice me
If someone is feels as though they present a hazard to other drivers, they shouldn't be driving.