What are the regulations for using hazard warning lights?
3 Answers
Hazard warning lights, also known as emergency flashers, serve as a signal to alert other vehicles and pedestrians that the vehicle is experiencing a special situation. The regulations for their use are as follows: 1. When driving in foggy conditions: Visibility is reduced in fog, and hazard warning lights should be turned on. 2. In case of vehicle breakdown or traffic accident on the road: Hazard warning lights should be activated to alert approaching vehicles and pedestrians for safety and to prevent further incidents. 3. When driving on highways: Hazard warning lights must be turned on under low visibility conditions such as fog, rain, snow, dust, or hail, especially when visibility is less than 100 meters. 4. Penalty regulations: Motor vehicles are not allowed to use hazard warning lights arbitrarily while driving on the road.
After driving for so many years, I have extensive experience with hazard lights. According to regulations, hazard lights must be turned on when temporarily parking by the roadside to run errands or pick someone up, even if it's just for two or three minutes—never skip it. In case of an emergency breakdown, place a warning triangle 150 meters behind the vehicle while keeping the hazard lights on. Both the towing and towed vehicles must have their hazard lights activated during towing, something many people forget. On highways during heavy rain or fog with visibility under 100 meters, hazard lights are also mandatory—just last week during a downpour, my hazard lights helped the car behind me slow down in time. However, the most overlooked scenario is convoy driving: wedding processions or group activities must keep their hazard lights on to maintain formation, or they’ll bear full responsibility in case of a rear-end collision. Using hazard lights while waiting at a red light is also a violation, something new drivers especially need to watch out for.
From the perspective of traffic regulations, the use of hazard lights mainly falls into three categories. First is parking-related: hazard lights must be turned on for breakdown parking, post-accident parking, and temporary passenger pick-up/drop-off. On regular roads, a warning triangle must also be placed, while on highways it should be positioned 150 meters away. Second is weather conditions: hazard lights are mandatory when visibility drops below 100 meters in heavy fog or when heavy rain obscures rearview mirrors, but using them in clear weather is actually illegal. Third is special scenarios: vehicles being towed, driving test vehicles (Subject 3), and hazardous material transport convoys must all have hazard lights on. Last year's rear-end collision on Hangzhou Expressway was a classic case where the following vehicle's failure to use hazard lights caused a secondary accident. Remember that hazard lights cannot replace turn signals - you must turn off hazards before using turn signals when changing lanes or making turns.
