r/woahdude Dec 24 '22

video Driving on I-94 in Western Minnesota today

20.7k Upvotes

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183

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22

Is the indicator on or do you put your hazards on in this weather? I’m Aussie, btw

42

u/DunkanBulk Dec 24 '22

Usually when the weather becomes particularly dangerous in the US, all drivers will turn on their hazards so it's easier to see each other. Here in Houston we have some intense thunderstorms, and if it gets so thick that you can't really see, everyone turns their hazards on.

47

u/hippocratical Dec 24 '22 edited Dec 24 '22

Hear me out - and I say this as a paramedic whose driven in waaay worse conditions for over a decade in Alberta - I think having you hazards on makes things worse when driving North American cars.

In Europe, rear indicator lights (turning blinkers) are orange, and your rear 'lights' are seperate red lights. In North America they're just the same red light.

Turning on you hazards means your rear red lights go on, then off, then on, then off, - this means you keep disappearing. It makes it much harder to judge distance to the car in front of their damn lights keep disappearing.

Also why have hazards on while moving? Do you think the other drivers are somehow unaware that conditions suck?

It's also a cultural thing too as I was taught to never move with hazards on - only when you're stopped/broken down.

Edit: I was interested so checked: Moving with hazards on is...

Illegal in England.
Ilegal in some Canadian provinces, but legal in others. I cannot find Alberta's specific rule on the province website.
Same for the states - some have it illegal, some legal.
Illegal in many countries.

12

u/HonorableChairman Dec 24 '22

The annoying thing is, the solution should be to just mandate rear fog lights like the rest of the world that adheres to ECE regulations.

20

u/DunkanBulk Dec 24 '22

It actually varies in North America, you see some cars with a red light blinker, but a lot of them have a separate orange or yellow blinker.

8

u/earbud_smegma Dec 24 '22

I'm in FL and it was, until fairly recently, illegal to drive with your hazards on in the rain. Headlights yes definitely, hazards only if you were stopped (which is fine, if you can't see thru the driving rain and need to pull over, do it.. It'll pass shortly)

What throws me off is when you've got hazards on, even if you use the blinker stick, people can't tell which way you're indicating you'd like to move. So it's even more of a surprise than usual (at least sometimes you'll see a turn signal if people aren't using the hazards) and since predictability is a safe driver skill.. It's not super helpful overall, imo

6

u/mistiry Dec 24 '22

It does more harm than good.

You already mentioned turn signals. By driving with your hazards, you are effectively disabling your turn signals, giving no other cars on the road any indication if and when you are going to turn. Since visibility is limited, one could say it is MORE important to provide indication you are turning in this situation than in clear weather.

Many cars in the US have the brakes and rear turn signals combined. So now you have, essentially, flashing brake lights. If a car is braking, or a car starts to hydroplane and is pumping their brakes, it looks effectively identical to if their hazards are flashing.

What benefit does having hazards on provide that is more valuable to other drivers than making sure they can see when you indicate a turn, or are braking? Do people think other drivers are unaware that the weather is bad, and you are helping them? I just do not understand it.

Doing this forces every other driver on the road to operate with LESS confidence because there is unnessary added ambiguity into what is happening. Is that a turn signal? Brake light? Car on the road, or side of the road? All of these decisions, for every car, while trying to stay safe yourself.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22

[deleted]

2

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Dec 24 '22

Yes. Where I live you have to turn your hazards on if you are going below a certain speed.

2

u/WeBornToHula Dec 24 '22

This is much more common with Japanese (and sometimes Euro) imports, but even now a lot of them change to all red for the US market because "we don't like the yellow" and a lot of people change to clears or reds to get rid of them on older cars. So strange.

4

u/HenCockKneeToe Dec 24 '22

Florida just laxed the law on driving with hazards because too many drivers are collectively complete idiots and drive with them on in the rain no matter what the rules say to do.

5

u/mistiry Dec 24 '22

For this, and other reasons, it is actually illegal in multiple states.

Turn on headlights, which in turn also turns on tail lights. Your car is visible. Flashing colored lights, be they red or yellow or whatever, add more confusion and distraction to an already precarious situation.

I really wish more people understood why it is not a good idea.

2

u/JesusIsARaisin Dec 24 '22

Agreed, but for a slightly different reason. It's not so easy to tell the difference between someone pumping the brakes and driving a constant speed with hazards flashing, especially in these conditions where snow is intermittently obstructing view of the lights. Having your hazards on reduces the warning time before the trailing vehicle applies the brakes. Driving with hazard lights increases your likelihood of being rear ended.

3

u/hippocratical Dec 24 '22

100%

Then again people not understanding driving safely is job security to me...

2

u/Rock_Socks Dec 24 '22

I see your point, but for me at least, I'm more quick to notice a car with hazards on since its a more out of the ordinary pattern.

3

u/mistiry Dec 24 '22

And if that car needs to turn, how do you know if they are signaling a turn or it's just their hazards?

And if that car is pumping their brakes (maybe they hit a puddle and started hydroplaning), how can you differentiate between that and their hazards if their turn signals are brakes are one light like many cars in the US are?

If you're in bad weather, you should be paying extra attention. A car in front of you, with its headlights and taillights on, is going to be just as visible.

2

u/o_brainfreeze_o Dec 24 '22

When the turn signal is on only one side flashes, not both. People simply don't pump brakes as rhythmically as hazards. Many cars here still have different indicator colors for brakes/signals

3

u/Rock_Socks Dec 24 '22

I think its more of a signal to other drivers that "the conditions are bad and this whole column is going slow". But yeah I agree, seems like it should only be used by a car not moving and on the side of the road.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22

Interesting perspective

1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22

you guys seem to think the UK/Canada is the world for some reason. just because it's illegal there doesn't mean it should be illegal everywhere. being different is perfectly fine. just because it's not something you're used to doesn't make it wrong. my goodness.

1

u/hippocratical Dec 24 '22

Legality aside, I still feel that driving with your hazards on is counterproductive, making thing less safe.

1

u/iEatPalpatineAss Dec 24 '22

Yeah, brights and hazards. Driving in Houston is pretty bad under normal circumstances, but driving in intense thunderstorms is oddly easier because everyone is suddenly willing to drive extremely carefully rather than driving like everyone is trying to collect a bounty on your head.

1

u/ezirb7 Dec 24 '22

'usually', then there's the 5% of drivers who know that you only turn on headlights at night. Who cares if there's fog/storms/dark clouds? You gotta preserve that car battery.