What lights should be turned on when temporarily parking?
2 Answers
During the day, no lights are required for temporary parking. At night, temporary parking requires the hazard warning flashers, clearance lights, and rear position lights to be turned on. Hazard warning flashers for temporary parking: The hazard warning flashers, commonly known as 'double flash' (a red triangle with an exclamation mark button switch, also called hazard lights or emergency flashers), are signal lights used to alert other vehicles and pedestrians that the vehicle is in a special situation. Clearance lights for temporary parking: Clearance lights are the outermost lights at the front and rear of the vehicle. Large trucks also have clearance lights on the roof and sides. Front and rear position lights for temporary parking: Front and rear position lights, commonly known as small lights or width indicators, are mainly used to indicate the presence of the vehicle and its approximate width, helping other vehicles make judgments during passing and overtaking.
When temporarily parking, I always choose to turn on the hazard lights because safety is absolutely the top priority. Parking on the roadside for a few minutes, other vehicles might not notice you, especially at night or in bad weather. The flashing hazard lights can effectively alert vehicles behind and pedestrians, avoiding rear-end collisions. Once when I had to pull over on the highway, turning on the hazard lights made me feel much safer. Don’t just rely on parking lights or brake lights—they aren’t conspicuous enough. Also, choose your parking spot wisely, preferably on a clear shoulder, and avoid blind spots or curves. After years of driving, I’ve made it a habit to always turn on the hazard lights to ensure safety for myself and others.
