More hazardous to drive with your hazard lights on?

AccuWeather

Hazard lights are designed for emergencies, but using them while driving can confuse other road users, reduce communication and create dangerous situations. AccuWeather's Tony Laubach has the story.

Transcript

00:00You've probably seen it, a car in heavy snow or rain with hazards flashing, but is it really

00:08safer? AAA says those lights can actually create new risks. Hazard lights were designed for

00:13emergencies and mainly when a vehicle is stopped, but more drivers now use them while moving in

00:18heavy weather because flashing lights grab attention fast. The human eye is attracted

00:23to movement. So when we have that flashing going on, that's even more likely to gain the attention

00:30of another road user. But in heavy snow or blinding rain, hazards can cause drivers to steer toward

00:35the flashing lights without even realizing it. People tend to drive where their eyes are looking.

00:40You don't want them driving toward you when you're hazard flashing. Hazards also interfere with your

00:45ability to signal lane changes. It overrides your ability to signal whether you're going to move

00:51left or right. You can't let other drivers know, okay, I want to change lanes to the left,

00:56exit to the right. Hazards may also give drivers a false sense of security. Drivers might feel more

01:01comfortable. Maybe you shouldn't be out on the road at all then. Maybe it's actually better to go ahead

01:05and move off. There's no additional traction on their tires. The hazard flashers don't affect that.

01:11Because most drivers associate hazards with a stopped vehicle, a moving car with flashers can be

01:15confusing, especially in whiteouts or tropical downpours. They could sometimes even be hard

01:20to determine that a vehicle with its hazard lights on is moving. When you first see it,

01:26it might look stopped. AAA recommends using hazard lights only during a true emergency

01:31and usually when you're stopped. Depending on where you live, using hazards may even be illegal.

01:36Make sure you check before traveling. States like California, Pennsylvania, and New York don't allow

01:41moving vehicles to use hazards at all, even in snow or heavy rain. Meanwhile, states such as Texas and

01:47the Carolinas allow hazard light use only in specific conditions like poor visibility, slow moving traffic,

01:52or other emergency situations. Bottom line, hazard lights can help you be seen, but they can also

01:58create new dangers. If you're thinking about using them while driving, ask yourself, is this helping

02:03or is it a sign to pull over? For AccuWeather, I'm meteorologist Tony Laubach.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended