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-   -   Get clear about parking lights! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/109569-get-clear-about-parking-lights.html)

I have seen many people get confused between Parking Lights & Hazard Lights.

Parking lights are the small bulbs within the headlights which we switch ON when its little dark (evening/early morning). It works in tandem with the rear tail lights. You switch it on by turning your headlight switch by one position!!!

Hazard lights are also known as 4 way flashers. All the six amber colored (side included) turn signals come on at the same time. They are used to indicate that the vehicle is parked on the road or broken down. they are activated with the red triangle button, most probably on the dashboard.

Since, hazard lights are used while parking, I have often seen people referring to them as parking lights.

Oh, that's not the only thing people are confused about.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post2543402

This thread discusses how most people (private/cab/bus/truck drivers) are only too happy to switch on the blinkers/hazard lights when it's raining.

But mistaking hazard lights for parking lights - really? I haven't come across that yet.

I have had many friends telling me to switch on the parking lights when it rains heavily, what they mean is hazard lights.

I quietly switch on the "actual" parking lights along with front & rear fog lights.

I am not really sure if people get confused between hazard lights and parking lights. But one thing that i know for sure is that most people here use the hazard light to indicate that they are going straight while encountering a 4-way junction. If you are not going to make a turn then why do you need to make any indication!:deadhorse

When driving through a relatively crowded highway, i came across a speeding innova guy who, when confused about which vehicle to overtake in front of him (to his left or to his right) would switch on the hazard lights. Initially it was a bit confusing, but after tailing him for a while, it became clear that, whenever the driver became unsure of which vehicle he wanted to overtake, he would switch on the hazard lights which meant that his indicator now blips in both the directions and he is free to choose either !

I think it can be used in case you're parked on the side of the road (to take a call or check something) with less room for traffic to pass! But thats to indicate a hazard to the incoming traffic and might be mistaken for parking lights?

If you people dont believe me, then listen to this-

I had gone to this garage, when this indigo guy comes & tells the mechanic that his front right parking light is not working. the mechanic instantly turns on the hazard lights to check the right turn indicator bulb.

lol: too good!!! Nice idea to keep the people behind him guessing which lane this Innova is going to land up!!!

Even I have come across such over smart guys swearing when I declined to put on the "parking lights" (read hazard lights) on a riany day!!

When I saw the thread title, I thought it was a discussion on the rules on using parking lights. Can't we discuss about it here? For example, is it legal to drive with just the parking lights on? Say, early in the morning or late in the evening?

For that, you'd need DRL (Daytime Running Lights).

On the same thought - can a cop flag you down if you're running the parking/head lights during the day in normal circumstances.

in the early days of DRLs, it was the small bulb in the main headlight (parking light) which was switched ON as long as the vehicle was running. AFAIRC it was volvo which introduced them first.

the two wheelers in europe and north america have their headlights ON all the time the bike is ridden!

now its the LEDs which have replaced the parking lights as the DRLs.

i used to have my parking light on all the time while riding my bike, it made me visibile, means people noticed me more than they would notice me without the headlight on! a safety feature!

now my bike is gone, so whenever i drive my car, i have the parking lights switch ON and again it helps me get noticed and people crossing the road are more carefull when they see my car with parking lights switched ON!

studies have proved that a vehicle gets noticed more with lights ON than cars with lghts switched OFF in daytime!

...and its perfectly legal to drive with parking lights switched ON during daytime!

:OT Another bad habit which is spreading, is to switch on hazard lights when preparing to park!

Sometime back I was reading the Motor Vehicles Act and there was a section which mentioned something like this:
Night-time: If the roads are properly lit, only parking lights (first twitch on) are enough. Low beams can be used as well, but not high-beams.
If the road is not lit, use high-beam if required but switch to low-beam for any oncoming traffic and for any vehicle in-front, moving in your direction. :)

Nothing was mentioned explicitly for day-time.

In the i20 you can't leave the small bulb on on the headlamp/indicator cluster, lock the car , and walk off thinking that you have left the parking lights on. I think its called battery saver feature.
Unless you insert the key in the ignition, the lights will not start. In the i20, parking with the "parking lights"( as per your explanation) and walking off is not an option. You have to switch on the "parking" indicators( all six turn indicators).

THIS is the confusion! What you are calling as parking indicators is infact hazard lights, as mentioned in my post.

Hazard lights-



Parking lights-

Please try the following. Turn off the lights. Switch off the ignition and take the key out. Turn ON the parking lights , Viola your parking lights are on:D

The battery saver ensures feature ensures that you consciously put on the parking lights.

Cheers