[caliper]

Originally Posted by pow3r2dawh33ls

All around we are surrounded by truckers, half-asleep / drunk drivers (i once saw a truck-driver asleep at the wheel on the expressway doing 80+, and woke him up with the horn) and infamous 2 and 3 wheelers. In such a situation using hazard lights at times seems to be the only way to warn traffic around of your presence.

Just my 2c

Friend, are you saying that because we have trucks, and 2/3 wheelers all around, we should drive with the hazard lights on?

Granted that hazard lights are more visible, but that's only because they are rare. If everyone drives with the blinkers on all the time, how maddening would it be?

Furthermore, just because using a particular device attracts more attention, it doesn't mean that one should have it on just in the normal course of driving. For example, would you advocate that the brake light be turned on permanently?

The reason you wouldn't do that is would lead other drivers to make incorrect assumptions about you (i.e. that your braking when you are not).

Another example is the horn. Granted, there would be more visibility if you kept your horn honking all the time, but you wouldn't do that. (Oops, some drivers do in fact do just that!)

So, driving around with your hazards on (outside of the specific conditions mentioned by @bottle) is the equivalent of driving around with your horn continuously honking.

[eflanker]

Tip for Swift / SX4 drivers

Use rear FOG light during rain/fog etc

[pow3r2dawh33ls]

Originally Posted by caliper

Friend, are you saying that because we have trucks, and 2/3 wheelers all around, we should drive with the hazard lights on?

Granted that hazard lights are more visible, but that's only because they are rare. If everyone drives with the blinkers on all the time, how maddening would it be?

Furthermore, just because using a particular device attracts more attention, it doesn't mean that one should have it on just in the normal course of driving. For example, would you advocate that the brake light be turned on permanently?

The reason you wouldn't do that is would lead other drivers to make incorrect assumptions about you (i.e. that your braking when you are not).

Another example is the horn. Granted, there would be more visibility if you kept your horn honking all the time, but you wouldn't do that. (Oops, some drivers do in fact do just that!)

So, driving around with your hazards on (outside of the specific conditions mentioned by @bottle) is the equivalent of driving around with your horn continuously honking.

Caliper,

The reply is in context of using hazard lights in the tunnels / dark rainy / poor visibility situations on the expressway.

Your point of hazard lights on being equivalent to keeping the horn on is valid. But no where has anyone suggested keeping the hazard lights on ALL the time.

[car_whizz]

This is what the Police says

"Tips for driving in fogFog is made up of tiny water droplets suspended in the air that reduces visibility to less than 200 metres. Fog has been statistically established to be the most dangerous driving hazard in existence. U.T. Chandigarh, like the rest of northern India, generally experiences fog in the cold winter months of December and January. The motorists are advised to follow the tips listed out below for driving in foggy conditions:
1. The safest thing to do is to not to drive. Call off the trip or delay it until the fog lifts. Inform that you shall be late.
2. If you run into fog while driving, it is safest to move to the left shoulder of the road and try to get your vehicle completely off the road. Use your parking lights and hazard lights to indicate to other drivers that you are parked on the side of the road. Do not stop in the middle of the road.
3. If you choose to drive through the fog then reduce your speed. As you enter fog, check your rear view for following vehicles and slow down. The foot brake should be used lightly to let the brake lights warn the following drivers. High intensity rear fog lights (if installed) should be switched on.
4. A constant slow speed should be followed and the unconscious tendency to speed up with apparent acclimatization to fog conditions should be avoided. Also, fog creates a visual illusion of slow motion when you may actually be driving fast. The driver must remember that fog can be patchy and can change from a light mist to a thick blanket in seconds. The faster your speed the less time available to react to the danger.
5. Switch on your headlights even if it is day time and drive on low beam. The high beam gets reflected off the fog and creates a ‘white wall’ effect totally blinding the driver. The low beam shall direct the light onto the road and help other drivers to see you.
6. Do not use your hazard lights while driving. Flashing lights distract other drivers and they are known to drive into these lights on some occasions. Don’t keep tapping on your brake pedals as the brake lights will make the following drivers nervous and they may try overtaking you. This would be a potential risk to all.
7. Use the left edge of the road as a guide rather than the center line to avoid being dazzled by the headlights of the oncoming traffic or getting involved in head-on collisions due to poor visibility.
8. Do not overtake vehicles. It is safer to follow other vehicles while maintaining a safe distance. Avoid unnecessary lane changing.
9. Travel with the driver’s window partially open. Turn off the car stereo and listen for traffic especially at intersections. There may be other drivers who are not using their headlights.
10. Use your defroster and windshield wipers to keep the windscreen and car windows clear. Do not hesitate to pull your car off the road and to manually wipe the windows with a cloth if the wiper or defroster is not working properly. Preparing for Foggy Weather:
1. Make sure that all your lights are working properly and that the head-lights are properly aimed. Clean the lights and replace any fused bulbs.
2. Ensure that the wiper blades are not damaged and are working properly. Be sure that you know the operation of the defroster by consulting the manufacturer’s manual.
3. Keep a clean cotton cloth ready to wipe the windscreen if such a need arises.
Chandigarh traffic police, promoting road safety, traffic safety, India road signs & rules, safe responsible driving, first aid India."

Look at point 6: Flashing light distract others. Don't drive with Flashing light.

[gd1418]

What is a rear fog light? I've never seen one any vehicle, least of all a Scorpio or a Safari.

Originally Posted by eflanker

Tip for Swift / SX4 drivers

Use rear FOG light during rain/fog etc

[pjbiju]

Originally Posted by gd1418

What is a rear fog light? I've never seen one any vehicle, least of all a Scorpio or a Safari.

There is a red light (horizontal) behind the swift at the bottom, just below the number plate. It can be turned on only when the headlights are on.

[gd1418]

And this is called the fog light? What I understood froma fog lamp was either a clear light or one with a yellowish tinge. And in swift it gets turned on only when the HLs are on or even with the parking lights?

Originally Posted by pjbiju

There is a red light (horizontal) behind the swift at the bottom, just below the number plate. It can be turned on only when the headlights are on.

[superavi]

Originally Posted by car_whizz

6. Do not use your hazard lights while driving. Flashing lights distract other drivers and they are known to drive into these lights on some occasions. Don’t keep tapping on your brake pedals as the brake lights will make the following drivers nervous and they may try overtaking you. This would be a potential risk to all.

Thanks Car_Whizz, this is useful. So the police in India havent really outlawed it or made it illegal, but it is unsafe.

Thanks.

Superavi

[pjbiju]

Originally Posted by gd1418

And this is called the fog light? What I understood froma fog lamp was either a clear light or one with a yellowish tinge. And in swift it gets turned on only when the HLs are on or even with the parking lights?

The front fog lamps in the swift are clear and can be turned on after the parking lights are on. But the rear fog lamp is red and can be turned on only when the headlights are on. So the rear fog lamp acts as an additional "red" warning light at the back - it should make it more visible under fog/rain etc. to the vehicles behind it.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

I simply dont understand the logic behind using hazard lights. It is a dangerous signalling system while a vehicle is moving. How can you judge the moves of a car whose hazard lights are ON? Remember that your indicators do not show lane changes with these stupid blinkers which are supposed to warn a motorist of a stopped/broken down vehicle on the road.

Broken down vehicles need to switch on their hazard lights and place the warning triangle approx 3 metres behind their vehicle, to ensure other road users can clearly understand that there is a breakdown. Wherever possible broken down vehicles must be in the breakdown lane (available in mumbai pune expressway)

[Nitin]

"Broken down vehicles need to switch on their hazard lights and place the warning triangle approx 3 metres behind their vehicle, to ensure other road users can clearly understand that there is a breakdown."

I hadn't heard about the warning triangle in India,until now.Didn't know that it existed there. I've heard a lot about it here in the US. Thats a very handy thing to have. Especially at after sunset, it gets tough to spot vehicles that have broken down, and this would help spot one a good distance away.

Just wondering..is there a speed limit imposed on the Mumbai-pune expressway?

[gd1418]

This has me pondering. How many have got their licences through the proper way and are conversant with the road signals and methods to indicate a breakdown etc. I'm witness to a well heeled gent driving a beemer screeching to a halt behind a broken down call center Indica in Gurgaon that was flashing its hazard lights and had that warning triangle plonked on the road. Since I was a few feet behind the beemer i too had to stop.

The BMW guy was fiercely arguing with the cab driver that he should have placed some stones around his car to denote that it was broken down. The cab driver kept insisting that the hazard lights are on and the traingle has been kept for this purpose only but the guy wouldn't listen. It was quite amusing. Wish I had my camera capture this.

Originally Posted by Nitin

"Broken down vehicles need to switch on their hazard lights and place the warning triangle approx 3 metres behind their vehicle, to ensure other road users can clearly understand that there is a breakdown."

I hadn't heard about the warning triangle in India,until now.Didn't know that it existed there. I've heard a lot about it here in the US. Thats a very handy thing to have. Especially at after sunset, it gets tough to spot vehicles that have broken down, and this would help spot one a good distance away.

[revvhed]

The Chandigarh traffic police article sums it up. I think it's extremely well written and clearly highlights what needs to be done to ensure safety.
I read someone mention before that if you can't tell the difference between a stopped car and a slowly moving car there's something wrong with your depth perception. I'm sorry, kind sir, but i disagree. When you are at speed in bad weather and you see a car in the distance moving slowly it does take a moment to figure out if it is actually moving slowly or has stopped. The fact that it is (probably) in the fast or the middle lane causes your mind to infer that it is indeed moving slowly. If the same car was spotted in the last lane you would be more inclined to believe that it has stopped.
It is here that the Hazard Warning Lights play their role effectively. If used correctly you would know at once, from a distance, that the car in front is moving slowly and has not stopped because the Hazard warning lights are not on. If there is a mechanical problem and the car is limping home with the Hazard Warning lights on, it would be doing so (ideally) in the left-most lane, in which case you would still be adequately warned and stay clear, which i must stress is the actual function of the Hazard Warning Lights. It has been correctly pointed out that in bad weather conditions you must switch on the rear fog lamp(s) which is a high intensity lamp that can be seen from much further away than the regular tail lamps.
The fact that this practice (of using the Hazard Lights in bad weather) has been seen to be followed in a foreign country does not make it right. I'm sure that they have plenty of mis-informed drivers too.
To further illustriate my point (a little off-topic i know), all the truckers on the highway use the right turn signal to tell you to overtake and also use it when they are parked on the side of the road. Now how do you know if he's parked or is signalling that he's pulling out onto the road. How do you know if he's telling you to overtake or if he's pulling into the right lane himself ? The point i'm trying to make here is that just because everybody else does it does not make it right. The truckers obviously think they're right too. That is why there are guidelines laid down by the traffic police that need to be followed to ensure uniformity. The article quoted from the Chandigarh traffic police guidelines is perfectly written and if followed will be perfectly safe. I have personally experienced very dense fog on my way from Delhi to Agra where visibility was reduced to a just a few metres beyond your bonnet and all vehicles were forced to a crawl of approx 10 - 20 kmph. In this situation, all you can see is the tail-lights of the vehicle in front and it's impossible to tell whether it has stopped or is still moving. I have seen vehicles with Hazard lights on (both, actually stopped and still moving) and believe me it was more of a Hazard because we had to keep braking not knowing if the car had stopped or was still moving. Most annoying and very 'Hazardous' .
And finally spare a thought for those poor, ignorant fools who, with all their R & D, manufacture the cars we drive. Well, ummm, they were the ones who came up with the concept of the Hazard Warning Lights and also the concept of Rear Fog Lights, and named them thus. If the Hazard Warning Lights were meant to be used in bad weather conditions wouldn't they have named them, er .. i dunno .. hmmm lessee now ... Fog Lights ??

[rajcs]

An old thread - but getting more relevant by the day.

Its now almost become a norm to turn on hazard light while driving through rain or tunnel. Unless an awareness campaign and penalty by police is introduced soon, it will be assumed as a standard practice by every driver in India.

Drivers don't seem to realise that turning on hazard lights while driving inhibits the ability to use indicators to signal lane changes.

The worst part is hazard lights are not always switched on when it is most required - while stopped on the road. Recently a well known surgeon in Pune lost his life alongwith the driver, when they had stopped on Mumbai -Pune expressway at night to change tire and was hit by a bus. Details here :- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/71155728.cms
The hazard lights were not switched on.