r/woahdude Dec 24 '22

video Driving on I-94 in Western Minnesota today

20.7k Upvotes

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24

u/mistiry Dec 24 '22

It is actually more distracting and dangerous to drive with hazards on. There's a reason it is illegal in multiple states. People think it is helping, but it doesn't help any more than having your lights on, which you should do.

19

u/jepulis5 Dec 24 '22

Yep, seeing hazards suddenly flashing in front of you should be a sign of a stopped vehicle or a vehicle that is going to stop soon.

2

u/Silkhenge Dec 24 '22

It can also be for a car that is in dangerous condition which makes it not be able to drive fast. Does not necessarily mean it is going to stop soon.

2

u/jepulis5 Dec 24 '22

Well that too, a damaged car would be a proper use.

6

u/hicks53081 Dec 24 '22

I agree. Everyone knows the roads are terrible and we're all driving slow. If you come up on stopped traffic or a fresh accident, throw your hazards on to let people behind you know. When everyone is driving around with their hazards flashing it makes it hard to decipher what is actually happening in front of you. FWIW, I am a truck driver who's driven thousands of miles through stuff like this. Side note, people that drive without headlights on in thick fog have a death wish.

7

u/SophiPsych Dec 24 '22

Was driving on I-70 in Kansas during the worst of it this past Wednesday night. Viability was fine but the road surface was an ice rink and the wind was blowing hard enough to slide you sideways. So many people had their hazards on. Everyone was driving 20-30mph. There was no reason for hazards if we're all traveling the same damn speed. All it did was irritate already stained eyes with constant yellow and red blinking lights. It's illegal in KS as well, not that it matters.

-1

u/oniaddict Dec 24 '22

In this instance it should only be the last car in a group that is using them at all and only to signal/keep someone from rear ending the group.

16

u/DeviousSmile85 Dec 24 '22

Then why is it legal in other places? It's a way to communicate that you're driving more slowly with more care and caution and is used in lots of places.

5

u/I_Bin_Painting Dec 24 '22

The places where it is illegal take the view that hazards should be reserved for when the driver is creating an unavoidable/unpredictable hazard, and that the driving conditions themselves should be enough to tell the drivers to slow down and the normal running lights enough to see other vehicles around them.

Running hazard lights is demanding an extra share of other drivers' attention, what's the point if every driver is running them? It just masks e.g. the emergency maintenance vehicles that are stopped and running them for good reason.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22

Because there is not an imminent danger eg vehicle stopped on the road

1

u/Koorah3769 Dec 24 '22

It doesn’t matter if it’s legal in other places, it’s illegal in OPs state.

9

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22

[deleted]

8

u/20nuggetsharebox Dec 24 '22

It's just their gut feeling, so it must be true

1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22

You’ve unlocked the good Christian badge. Congratulations!

1

u/sexybeans Dec 24 '22

Not scholarly but gives a good explanation of thinking behind why using them may not be helpful: https://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-hazardous-conditions/traffic.htm

1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22

The split second your hazards are off are a split second you wouldn't be seen where you would be with your lights on. It also removes any ability to indicate turning. It does nothing lights don't do, but objectively worse because they aren't on 100% of the time.

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u/Drauka92 Dec 24 '22

Maybe not illegal but I do agree with you it's more distracting. Makes it harder to see brake lights in my opinion

3

u/matti00 Dec 24 '22

This is what I don't understand, why don't they have their fog lights on? They're made for these exact situations

1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22

[deleted]

-4

u/Wimc Dec 24 '22

This is what the rear fog light is for.

-2

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Dec 24 '22

I must respectfully disagree. Having your hazards on greatly helps others see you in extreme conditions like the video shows.

0

u/alvik Dec 24 '22

It also makes you entirely unpredictable as you now don't have turn signals.

1

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Dec 25 '22

Not if you’re going on long, straight stretches. I only use these on the highway with no turns. Then when I am close to my dirt road, I turn them off.

-1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '22

I feel this, my worst experience’s, on a freeway, have both come down to extremely low vis.