Do hazard lights consume a lot of power?
2 Answers
Hazard lights consume power, and leaving them on for too long can drain the car battery. Introduction to hazard lights: Car hazard lights, commonly known as emergency flashers, involve both turn signals flashing simultaneously. There is a red triangle button on the vehicle's dashboard; pressing it activates the hazard lights. Battery maintenance tips: It's important to note that after turning off the engine, all electrical devices in the car should be switched off to prevent battery drain. Avoid storing the battery in a discharged state: A discharged state refers to when the battery is not recharged promptly after use. In this state, sulfation can occur, where lead sulfate crystals form on the plates, blocking ion channels and leading to insufficient charging and reduced battery capacity.
After driving for so many years and trying out various old and new cars, I do think that keeping the hazard lights on consumes some electricity, but not too severely. Generally, their power consumption is around 20 to 50 watts. Normally, if you leave them on for half an hour or an hour, the battery can handle it. Once, I forgot to turn them off while waiting for roadside assistance for half an hour, and the car wouldn’t start afterward because the battery was low. So now, I only use them in emergencies like car breakdowns or during heavy rain or fog, and I try to keep the engine running to charge the battery—safety comes first. If the battery is old, prolonged use of hazard lights can drain it easily, so it’s advisable to replace the battery or check the wiring regularly. Nowadays, new cars use LED bulbs, which are much more energy-efficient, so this level of power consumption isn’t a big deal. No need to worry too much about daily use.
