Under what circumstances should hazard lights be used?
3 Answers
Hazard lights are warning signals that alert surrounding vehicles to keep their distance. There are four situations when hazard lights should be activated: 1. When the vehicle breaks down and is parked: During daily driving, if the vehicle unexpectedly malfunctions and cannot be moved to a safe area promptly, the hazard lights should be turned on immediately to warn pedestrians and passing vehicles for safety. 2. When making a temporary stop: Hazard lights should also be used when pulling over temporarily on the roadside to alert drivers behind. 3. In adverse weather conditions such as heavy fog or heavy rain: Hazard lights must be turned on when visibility falls below the required limit. Additionally, after activating the hazard lights, maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead to prevent accidents. 4. When towing a malfunctioning vehicle: If a vehicle breaks down during operation and requires towing by a tow truck, the hazard lights must be turned on to alert vehicles behind.
I saw news a couple of days ago saying hazard lights shouldn’t be used casually, so I specifically checked the regulations. If a vehicle breaks down on the road, you must immediately turn on the hazard lights and place a warning triangle to prevent rear-end collisions. During typhoons, heavy rain, or thick fog when visibility drops below 100 meters, hazard lights should also be activated—but remember to slow down to under 40 km/h. Once on the highway, I saw over a dozen cars with hazard lights on, only to find out it was a legally registered wedding convoy—they had prior approval to drive like that. When towing a broken-down vehicle, both cars must use hazard lights; otherwise, the tow rope becomes nearly invisible to trailing traffic. Here’s a lesser-known fact: changing lanes with hazard lights on is especially dangerous because it overrides the turn signal.
Novice drivers often get confused about the use of hazard lights. I learned the hard way: once I parked temporarily by the roadside to buy water without turning on the hazard lights and got a ticket. Traffic laws require hazard lights to be turned on when temporarily parking in a way that obstructs traffic, such as picking up/dropping off passengers or unloading goods. Funeral processions should use hazard lights, but ordinary family cars driving in a group should not turn them on casually. When yielding to emergency vehicles like ambulances or fire trucks, hazard lights can be briefly activated as a signal. It’s highly recommended to check your vehicle’s manual—some cars automatically activate hazard lights during hard braking, and those with modified lights should be extra careful not to violate regulations.
