What is the correct way to use hazard warning lights?
4 Answers
The correct way to use hazard warning lights is: press the red triangle button on the vehicle's dashboard. The functions of hazard warning lights are: 1. In case of breakdowns, accidents, or emergencies, they can alert other vehicles; 2. When parking on the roadside, turn on the hazard warning lights to prevent rear-end collisions. Situations for using hazard warning lights: 1. When the vehicle breaks down or is involved in a traffic accident on the road; 2. Parking on the roadside; 3. Driving in foggy weather; 4. When towing a faulty vehicle, both the towing vehicle and the faulty vehicle should turn on the hazard warning lights; 5. Temporarily stopping on the driving road; 6. Visibility less than 100m; 7. Transporting critically ill patients; 8. Reversing or turning around on complex road sections.
Last week while driving on the highway, I suddenly encountered heavy rain. It was so foggy and dangerous that I immediately turned on the hazard lights. Hazard lights, also known as emergency warning flashers, must be used in emergency situations: when the vehicle breaks down and needs to park on the roadside, or when visibility is less than 100 meters (such as heavy rain or thick fog), the hazard lights must be turned on. However, do not abuse them under normal circumstances. Many drivers turn on hazard lights during heavy rain, which is actually unnecessary—it's safer to just turn on the front and rear fog lights. Also, remember that when hazard lights are on, the vehicle must be parked on the side of the road, and the triangular warning sign should be placed 150 meters behind the car. Once, I saw someone parking on the main road with hazard lights on to buy something, and the traffic police immediately issued a ticket!
The red triangle button in my car is only pressed in specific situations. As a novice, I thought turning on the hazard lights was cool, but later I understood its seriousness: when the vehicle cannot continue to drive, such as a flat tire stopping on the emergency lane, you must first turn on the hazard lights, immediately get out of the car to place the warning triangle, and then move behind the guardrail. When driving in fog with speed below 40km/h, you must turn them on, but remember to turn them off once the fog clears. Important reminder: never turn on the hazard lights at traffic lights, especially at night—it can blind the drivers behind!
I've seen too many people misuse hazard lights! In fact, traffic regulations are very clear: you shouldn't turn them on for temporary parking, and using low beams is sufficient in regular rainy conditions. Based on my experience, there are four situations when hazard lights must be used: when the vehicle breaks down and cannot move; when being towed; when encountering thick fog with poor visibility on highways; and during extreme weather conditions when driving at low speeds. Once, my car suddenly stalled in a tunnel—I immediately turned on the hazard lights and pulled the handbrake. The flashing red lights alerted vehicles behind me to steer clear in advance, preventing a potential rear-end collision. Safety is no trivial matter—don't casually press that red triangle button!
