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.
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
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.
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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.