Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I moved to NC from the midwest, where you only turned on your hazard lights if you were illegally parked and running into a storefront for something, broken down, etc...
I will say that we get rainstorms here that are WAY worse (on a more regular basis) than what I dealt with in the midwest...You oftentimes have to slow to a crawl on the highway, or slow to 35-40 mph on a 70 mph interstate...So I get it and participate in the practice...I'm not doing it every time it rains, just when it impedes visibility to the point that I don't have much choice.
Exactly. We get some really heavy rain down here in the gulf coast sometimes, and it can be heavy enough where you can’t even see 10 feet ahead of you, even with wipers on high. Pulling over on the side of the road can be dangerous, because people will think they’re following you and run right into you.
In South Florida, there are FDOT signs hat say Lights on in rain, flashers off. Sometimes our highways look like a Christmas tree everyone with flashers on.
Whether it annoys other drivers or not, I turn them on when there's a torrential downpour for my safety. If you can't see 5 feet in front of you and there's lots of traffic, then in my opinion, it's stupid to not turn them on. Pulling off the highway because it's hard to see is even worse, unless you want to be taken out by a semi or another vehicle.
This. Even worse than that, it can prevent turn signals and brake lights from working. Turning them on is more dangerous then leaving them off if you're driving.
This is what annoys me about them. When a significant people around you have their blinkers going, it is hard to tell who is braking, trying to change lanes, etc. If you are the only car on the road driving slowly, it can make some sense. When everybody is crawling along in a downpour or snow storm, it is just distracting to other drivers.
I appreciate the sentiment that some people are allegedly "doing it wrong," moving with their hazard lights on. But actually, they are doing it right, firmly embraced by the people's tradition of folk ingenuity.
What I mean is that although hazard lights may originally have been instituted for stationary hazards, long ago they were appropriated for ANY hazard. And for good reason; how else to tell people you have a problem you know (e.g., flat tire) or do not know (engine sputtering no idea why) or many other possibilities ( clutch out, cant shift into higher gear, bad wiper low visibility, bad weather please see me, etc ).
When people creatively appropriate something designed for one problem to solve other priblems, we shouldn't be upset. We should realize those real problems need a solution, and creatively people solved it! YAY people!
Rejecting folk wisdom (I have a hazard, so use my hazard lights) in favor of theoretical rules of when to do what turns a folk wisdom practice into a dangerous risk. In Morpheus' brilliant words, "free your mind." Embrace the wisdom of the practice!
Whether it annoys other drivers or not, I turn them on when there's a torrential downpour for my safety. If you can't see 5 feet in front of you and there's lots of traffic, then in my opinion, it's stupid to not turn them on. Pulling off the highway because it's hard to see is even worse, unless you want to be taken out by a semi or another vehicle.
but they are blinding the guy behind you, they cant see anything with your flashers on
Nobody in the North uses their emergency flashers when it's snowing. They use their headlights and taillights.
Not in a white out I guess you have never been in one before. That’s when the snow is blowing so hard you can’t see a foot in front of you. So don’t tell me about not using flashers during a white out your probably too young and never been in one, I’m from Michigan been driving for over 40 years in Michigan winters we get more snow than Ohio because of the Great Lakes and being that Canada is right next to us.
How do you expect drivers behind you to know if your stopped on the road or just driving SLOW. This drives most people crazy and is against the law in Florida. So all you drivers who think you can confuse other drivers behind you. Good luck. You are not being safe by doing this.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
