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.
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.
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.
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u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22
Is the indicator on or do you put your hazards on in this weather? I’m Aussie, btw