What Lights Should Be Turned On When Temporarily Parking a Vehicle in the Rain?
2 Answers
When temporarily parking a vehicle in the rain, the hazard warning flashers should be turned on. The official term for the hazard lights is hazard warning lights, which are generally used when the vehicle experiences a malfunction, is in danger, or needs to temporarily stop on a main road. There are four situations where the hazard warning flashers should be activated: 1) When the vehicle malfunctions during road travel and cannot be moved to a safe area promptly, the hazard warning flashers should be turned on to alert passing vehicles and pedestrians for safety; 2) If a breakdown occurs on the highway, the vehicle should stop within the emergency parking lane, immediately turn on the hazard warning flashers, place a warning sign 150 meters behind the vehicle, and quickly call for help. The driver and passengers should wait for rescue outside the front guardrail of the vehicle; 3) When towing a malfunctioning vehicle, both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle should activate the hazard warning flashers simultaneously to alert passing vehicles and pedestrians; 4) When transporting a critically ill patient, the headlights should be turned on immediately along with the hazard warning flashers, and the horn should be sounded appropriately. A clearly visible special sign should be displayed outside the vehicle to alert passing vehicles and pedestrians for safety. As required, when driving at night without streetlights, under poor lighting conditions, or in low visibility situations such as fog, rain, snow, dust, or hail, vehicles should turn on the headlights, position lights, and rear lights. However, high beams should not be used when driving close to the vehicle in front in the same direction. Vehicles driving in foggy conditions should turn on the fog lights and hazard warning flashers.
Regarding which lights to turn on when temporarily parking a vehicle in the rain, I believe the most crucial thing is to activate the hazard warning lights (double flashing lights). Why do I say this? Because I have had multiple experiences of driving in the rain for business trips. Whenever I needed to pull over temporarily, such as waiting too long at a traffic light or encountering a breakdown, the heavy rain made visibility poor, and other vehicles couldn’t easily spot me. Turning on the hazard lights ensures they keep flashing, clearly signaling approaching vehicles to slow down and avoid a rear-end collision. This isn’t just a driving habit—it’s a safety regulation. I remember once on the highway when I encountered a sudden downpour, I pulled over to the emergency lane and turned on the hazard lights, which effectively helped avoid a dangerous situation. Additionally, even for short stops on city roads, failing to use hazard lights may draw police attention or result in a fine. Wet roads in the rain extend reaction time, so it’s essential to turn on these lights—they don’t consume much power and are easy to operate, usually with a red button near the steering wheel. At the same time, don’t rely solely on the lights; remember to park the vehicle securely in a safe spot, and placing a warning triangle is even better. Paying attention to these details can make your journey much safer.
