[shibujp]

Another thing is that the hazard lights are extremely bright and makes tough visibility for the driver following you. Especially since the light glares off the water flowing down the windscreen.

Use park lights, fog lights or head lights (low beam) in such situations depending on the intensity. Leave the indicators for indication.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[rajeev k]

Dear Friends, Never ever turn on the blinkers except for the purpose for which they are intended, to warn other motorists of a hazard.

This habit started some years back and has caught on like a madhouse afire.

These blinkers are not for use in rain, fog or while parking. Use parking lamps for parking and during rains. during fogs use fog lamps. Another lot uses this as an indication for proceeding straight at intersections, a practice which is also to be stopped forthwith.

During rains or during foggy conditions or on normal daytime or in the thick of night if one's car has broken down in precarious position say on the center of the road, or on blind turns do put on the blinkers as a hazard warning.

Usage other than this will definitely cause only more harm than good.

So let us spread this message and enlighten others who practice this unknowingly.

[noopster]

This nonsense has reached epic proportions- every tunnel on the expressway is filled with idiots with their hazards on. I usually just turn my regular lights on in the tunnel, with fogs, but one i got honked at for not using my hazards! And the wifey got nervous and insisted I use the damn blinkers.

My instinct when I see hazards is to slow down and check if the person needs help, and it's reaally annoyying if he's just doing it because everyone else is.

[alto99]

I remeber another nonsense use of hazard lights being discussed years back - when one wants to go straight at a junctions.
All such unintended uses are bound to cause confusions.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by noopster

... And the wifey got nervous and insisted I use the damn blinkers. My instinct when I see hazards is to slow down and check if the person needs help, and it's reaally annoyying if he's just doing it because everyone else is.

Absolutely!.. These days, most of these so called driving practices aren't learnt from books or knowledgeable/trained professionals. Most of them, just do it because the other does it.

[GordonGekko]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

So, being in Gurgaon, you NEVER have hazard lights on in the winter?

Forget gurgaon, even when i go to punjab..its just not the right thing to do.

[amitoj]

Hmmm. Seems no one has answered the original query but yet the discussion has gone a bit tangential.
Lets say its not the heavy rains or fog that has forced you to put the blinkers on but something else like a defect in your car that has forced you to drive slowly in the left most lane, or that your car is being towed. In these, or similar such cases, what i would do to signal lane change is to switch off the hazard lights and turn on the indicator. Once the lane change or turn is done, switch back to the hazard lights! Simple!!

Cheers
Amitoj

[nileshch]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Once the lane change or turn is done, switch back to the hazard lights! Simple!!

Absolutely! This is what I have done in the past. It's a no-brainer. Switching off the hazard lights for a few seconds to change lane is not hazardous at all!

[RaguHolla]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

This is where Fog lamps come into play. Low placed front and rear foglamps make your car visible to others in bad weather. I find the low placed rear foglamps in Swift and Punto to be very effective.

Originally Posted by pjbiju

In heavy rains or fog, one should turn on the headlights and the rear/front fog lamps to announce your presence to others. And this really work. And you have the indicators working for you when you need them.

Switching on front fog lamp is okay but not rear ! My Fiesta owner manual has following warning(in page 46)!

Warning: The rear fog lamp may only be used when visibility is restricted to less than 50 mtr a d must not be used when its raining or snowing!

I always thought switching on fog lamps will increase burden on on coming traffic! Since rear fog lamp is positioned higher than front, it will be disturbing to one who comes behind. If one switches on Fog, rear light will also be switched on (default behavior in fiesta), which is enough for vehicle trailing you!

I may be wrong here, but I go by what owner manual says!

Using hazard lights is fast catching up in Bangalore too! Guess, we now have to know many more 'self created signals'.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

PLEASE DONT PUT ON BLINKERS ON DURING RAINS!!!

I am going to repeat the same a little more strongly - PLEASE DON'T PUT ON BLINKERS ON DURING RAINS / FOG / NIGHT DRIVING / DUST STORMS ETC. - IN FACT, NEVER - UNLESS YOU HAVE BROKEN DOWN AND ARE STATIONARY ON THE ROADSIDE!!!

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by RaguHolla

I always thought switching on fog lamps will increase burden on on coming traffic! Since rear fog lamp is positioned higher than front, it will be disturbing to one who comes behind. If one switches on Fog, rear light will also be switched on (default behavior in fiesta), which is enough for vehicle trailing you!

I may be wrong here, but I go by what owner manual says!

Using hazard lights is fast catching up in Bangalore too! Guess, we now have to know many more 'self created signals'.

Not all cars have high placed Fog lamps, As i have already mentioned earlier in this thread- Cars like Swift and Punto come with low placed rear foglamps which are considerably more effective than high placed Fog lamps.

I do not recommend usage of Rear Fog lamps when visibility is good. Rear Fog lamps have higher wattage bulbs and are brighter than normal tail lamps therefore blinding for the traffic following the car.

[anachronix]

Use the fog lamps if you have it or if the rain is too bad to drive stop your car and put the hazards ON. Don't continue driving with the hazard lights ON, you are simply putting others into unnecessary danger and madness to do so!

[Captain Slow]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

I am going to repeat the same a little more strongly - PLEASE DON'T PUT ON BLINKERS ON DURING RAINS / FOG / NIGHT DRIVING / DUST STORMS ETC. - IN FACT, NEVER - UNLESS YOU HAVE BROKEN DOWN AND ARE STATIONARY ON THE ROADSIDE!!!

I always use the blinkers when Im slowing down unexpectedly for a speedbreaker or some animal crossing the road, I fear the dimwit driving behind me might not stop in time and might end up kissing my cars rear end.

[mdsaab]

So many views and so many methods.
let me add my words.
First and Foremost the hazard lights are only to be used to indicate a hazard.
Hazards ~
Your Vehicle has broken down
You are halted on the side of the road, for whatever reason.
A vehicle in front of you has stalled and you have halted behind it.
An animal has suddenly crossed in front of you and you break hard.
There are obviously more reasons but this is what i could think of right now.
You see a stationery vehicle whether on the side of the road or in the middle of it, is a potential hazard, so we use the Hazard lines to highlight this hazard.

When Not to use the Hazard Lights
When it is raining heavily, snow, fog, low light conditions etc.
And especially not while CROSSING A TUNNEL!
We have parking lights, headlights, Fog lamps for these situations and in that order.
In light rains it is always advisable to switch on your parking lights, making you more visible. In heavier rains and when visibility is really poor please switch on the headlights on low beam. if extreme need be then put on your fog lamps.
And in super extreme cases or when you don't feel comfortable driving in such weather or circumstances then pull over to the side of the road and Switch ON your HAZARD LIGHTS. that's when they are to be used.

So the question of how to indicate a lane change, when using blinkers should not arise as you should only use your blinkers when stationery.

The only exception to this is when you need to reverse to parallel park, you are a hazard to vehicles approaching, so if need be you can switch on your hazard lights to indicate you are parking in the parallel parking spot.

These are my views, hope they help.

Drive Safe!

[vasoo]

I have seen this habit spreading like a wild fire when I was driving out of Bangalore on a winter morning at about 5AM. The whole section between EC and Hosur was filled with cars with blinkers on! It just started with some taxi guy and all followed suit promptly as if they were missing something. It is interesting to note that these taxi guys are the same folks who, in normal conditions, doesnt switch on their headlights even when it is pitch dark as if to save some electricity charges!