[amitoj]

I don't understand using hazard lights while reversing. If you are reversing straight, then you already have a reverse light to indicate that. If you are turning while reversing, then use the indicator to indicate the direction in which you are reversing.

Also, in modern cars, dont the hazard lights turn on automatically in some cases? For example when a door is opened when the engine is running?

Using hazard lights to say thanks or sorry is new to me though.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by Parm

i have used the hazard lights/warning lights in various driving and stationary conditions and the usage was perfectly alright and other drivers got my message.
i once used the hazard lights/warning lights along with my headlights switched on during the daytime, while i was rushing my little daughter to the hospital. other cars gave me way and i reached hospital without any delays.

Glad this worked out for you. I'll keep this in mind in case (Hopefully Not) I am ever faced with a similar emergency.

Originally Posted by Parm

i use hazard lights/warning lights when i stop on a street with no parking available, just to buy something from the shop quickly.

Wrong usage, though the scenario is correct. The vehicle is a hazard, but leaving the car illegally on the road by putting the hazard warning lights on is misuse of a normal assumption that the vehicle is stranded due to mechanical/any other problem. Imagine if everyone started doing that, well there would be chaos as people would be conveniently parked in front of shops of their choice. There is a reason for parking spaces, and road-sense includes parking in the right place, even if it is not all that close or convenient.

Originally Posted by Parm

i use hazard lights/warning lights while standing on a shoulder for a break.

This is correct usage on highways. I'm not sure about within the city, as within the city one should park only where parking is permitted, and within the parking spaces available.

Originally Posted by Parm

i use hazard lights/warning lights twice to say 'Thank you' or 'sorry' when i break into a lane or some one gives me way...

This is probably understood only by you, and now the people reading this thread Cutting into someone's lane may not always be avoidable, but the correct way I believe is to indicate your intention to the vehicle behind by putting on the indicator for whichever side the lane one intends to shift into is on, and then move into that lane only if the vehicle in that lane is at least one car length behind. Using the hazard warning in this case doesn't make sense and can even prove to be a greater hazard as the person behind will not be able to anticipate your movement or understand your intention!

Separately, I get in dinky bugged by people who put their indicators on anthill driving parallel to me and then expect me to slow down and allow them into my lane in front of me. One character in a Cielo once nearly clipped my left rear view mirror, and to avoid a bash up I gave him way. My family was with me

Originally Posted by amitoj

I don't understand using hazard lights while reversing. If you are reversing straight, then you already have a reverse light to indicate that. If you are turning while reversing, then use the indicator to indicate the direction in which you are reversing.

Also, in modern cars, dont the hazard lights turn on automatically in some cases? For example when a door is opened when the engine is running?

Using hazard lights to say thanks or sorry is new to me though.

Hazard lights are useful while reversing, though not as much as the loud sound that accompanies them when certain remote central locking systems are installed. The lights turn on automatically only with these after market central locking systems, and not with company fitted systems, AFAIK.

[navan49]

[quote=Parm;2549010]i have used the hazard lights/warning lights in various driving and stationary conditions and the usage was perfectly alright and other drivers got my message.

i once used the hazard lights/warning lights along with my headlights switched on during the daytime, while i was rushing my little daughter to the hospital. other cars gave me way and i reached hospital without any delays.
That is agreeable with emergeny and even with continous horn also I did once
Instead of parking scarcity hazard light is not good.

Hazard light for traffic build up is not necessary.

Reversing back light and break light and also the reverse horn if you have will do no need to use Hazard light.

i use hazard lights/warning lights while standing on a shoulder for a break. This is ok in the high way or any roadside parking for a while.

i use hazard lights/warning lights twice to say 'Thank you' or 'sorry' when i break into a lane or some one gives me way... This is for your satisfaction but as for as it is not a rule 90% of the driver won't get the message.

i never use hazard lights/warning lights in rain or fog, it gives out a confusing signal to other drivers.This is right and we can use fog light if we have or use dim head light in Day light fog.

[anilisanil]

Originally Posted by navan49

Hazard light for traffic build up is not necessary.

It indeed is. Many modern cars light up hazard lamps in case of emergency braking. Figo does it when you brake from speeds above 90 kmph or something.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by anilisanil

It indeed is. Many modern cars light up hazard lamps in case of emergency braking. Figo does it when you brake from speeds above 90 kmph or something.

I don't think it is the hazard warning that gets activated (yellow indicator lights) but the third high mounted brake light that starts flashing in emergency scenarios. Please correct me if I am wrong, as I do not have a reference article for this information.

[Parm]

nobody read when i said "various countries...various usages"!

anyway i wrote what i have seen and used in these different countries from africa to europe, india to middle east.

sudden breaking or sudden build up of traffic, the hazard lights/warning lights are used to warn cars coming behind you!

so please dont confine the usage of hazard lights/warning lights to just one application....over a period of time people in different countries have developed different usages.

in africa i find a completely different usage of flashing your headlights! flashing your headlight meant giving way to on coming driver, it means the same in middle east!

so wake up and smell the salt guys!

Originally Posted by anilisanil

It indeed is. Many modern cars light up hazard lamps in case of emergency braking. Figo does it when you brake from speeds above 90 kmph or something.

quite right....many cars in europe have this system in place.

does anyone know that the BMW X5's rear lights glow darker when brake harder, it shows the intensity of the braking and allows the cars in the rear to understand the same.

in north india, while overtaking i have seen drivers of trucks and taxis using their left indicator, showing their intent to overtake to the driver in front of them!

so again let me repeat.....different countries different usages!

[anilisanil]

Originally Posted by Parm

in north india, while overtaking i have seen drivers of trucks and taxis using their left indicator, showing their intent to overtake to the driver in front of them!

so again let me repeat.....different countries different usages!

I do not think what you are saying (about overtaking) is by rule book.

Now say if I form a group of 100 drivers and form an altogether different rules, say give right indicator for turning left etc. that does not make it to be another rule (I am just exaggerating to make things understood)

Unfortunately in India, where there is no traffic system, people make their own rules and think that they are right so these truckers may be the such lot. One more such anomaly is giving right indicator as a signal to allow them pass!!

[Parm]

in some western countries i have seen public transport buses's hazard light gets switched ON, the moment they stop and the doors are opened at a bus stop.

same goes for the school buses, when they stop to drop off the kids, the hazard lights come up automatically!

now the world over all schools buses are being painted YELLOW, yanks were the first ones to implement that!

[Guna]

I don't know if someone has mentioned this already
In some cars, when you apply sudden break and slow down, the hazard lights turn on. If the car is already not equipped with this feature, it may be a right thing to do it manually.

[Parm]

Originally Posted by navan49

[
Hazard light for traffic build up is not necessary.

Originally Posted by anilisanil

It indeed is. Many modern cars light up hazard lamps in case of emergency braking. Figo does it when you brake from speeds above 90 kmph or something.

Originally Posted by Guna

I don't know if someone has mentioned this already
In some cars, when you apply sudden break and slow down, the hazard lights turn on. If the car is already not equipped with this feature, it may be a right thing to do it manually.

Thank you anil and guna....

its absolutely correct that this flashing of hazard lights/warning lights starts when one has to break suddenly, which could be due to various reason.

some times when driving through city streets i see a some one waiting to cross the street, i bring my car to a halt and switch on hazard lights/warning lights to let the cars behind me that im stopping to let that person cross the street!

all these things are very much in common practice in many countries..

[navan49]

Parm,
It is not to object your views. I too saw the school buses blink hazard light. That is for those countries.here we cannot run above 80 in our NHS. Where as in west they drive 160 180 and with the warning of not less. But here not above 80. Another thing there they have left hand drive too, those cars are manufactured in India. It is not the argument among ourselves but the Government should think of modern systems and make some signs lighting by rule then there won't be mis understanding.Forget about the rule breakers and reckless drivers.

[madhu.rj]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

There are couple of threads already on the subject of wrong usage of the Hazard Warning lamps. In spite of all these there is confusion all around and which is the reason we see so many blokes with hazards on for parking, for going straight at intersections, while reversing, during rains and you name it.

The syllabus for the driving test conducted by RTOs needs to be revised and updated to include such other things like lane discipline usage of dippers etc.

I think the hazard lights can be used for reversing as there are morons who keep charging at you on the roads with no regard to the reverse lights coming on in the rear lamp cluster (very similar to overtaking you on the left/right side you have the turn indicators on and intend to turn). Also, can't reversing into on coming traffic be considered a 'hazard'?

[Parm]

Originally Posted by navan49

Parm,
It is not to object your views. I too saw the school buses blink hazard light. That is for those countries.here we cannot run above 80 in our NHS. Where as in west they drive 160 180 and with the warning of not less. But here not above 80. Another thing there they have left hand drive too, those cars are manufactured in India. It is not the argument among ourselves but the Government should think of modern systems and make some signs lighting by rule then there won't be mis understanding.Forget about the rule breakers and reckless drivers.

school buses in ANY country are not allowed to travel above 60-80 kmph!

school buses even on highways or motor ways or express ways are NOT allowed to travel beyond 60-80 kmph!

i remember the time when all school buses in NCR were asked to be painted YELLOW!

safety is not only for western countries and high speeds....try hitting a wall at 40kmph without a seat belt!

india has more than 100,000 people dying in road accidents in a single year, so we need safety more than west needs it!

we in india still cant enforce the rear red reflector and front white reflector despite having very large number of bicycle riders!

we still cant enforce two wheeler riders and bicycle riders to wear a reflective vest!

Hazard lights are not being re-named as "warning lights"! its to be used to warn people about one's vehicle being broken down, stationary vehicle, reversing one's vehicle, towing, escorting, etc...

its about warning about your vehicle's condition.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by madhu.rj

Also, can't reversing into on coming traffic be considered a 'hazard'?

Definitely yes and this practice is rampant in our country. Much more irritating is the operation of the remote lock's hooter which is wired to operate when reverse gear is engaged. This kind of system is common with the lock system of TATA and Hyundai cars and they also operate the hazard lamps couple of times when any of the doors are opened too. I don't know whether these systems are original accessories. This kind of system is not seen in Marutis.

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

I use the hazard lights when I am (in the act of) parallel parking (reversing) on the side of a busy road. Is this a bad habit ?

I have seen some cars in which the hazard lights automatically start blinking when you slot into the reverse gear. Is it correct to use hazard lights while reversing a car ?

Rohan

well, first let me answer regarding your second point, there are many reasons, I dont think or know any car which turns its hazard lamps automatically on(by factory settings), so either the owner must be have fitted those aftermarket loolala reversing musics or with his autocop security systems(some custom settings) that the hazards are turned on when the car is in reverse. They think they are indicating a hazard when they are reversing! Logically correct, but technically wrong!

Now to your first question: Well, in a way correct, if you see that traffic is heavy behind you, dont reverse! some moron will bang you. If you need to, you may use your hazard to warn them that you are stopped but when you reverse better use the indicator(to the side you are going to go into). That is the EU/German rule,which makes sense to me.

As a rule, in Autobahn one can use Hazards incase there is a traffic pile up and one has to slow down suddenly. But when the traffic is moving,or even slightly inching, one may not use the hazards. Inside city, while parking outside the stipulated parking lanes, one should use the hazards(if he may be a hinderance to other road users),this is valid only for a short time. While parallel parking use the proper indicator.

Gurus correct me if i am wrong!