Get Clear About Parking Lights!

[raj_5004]

I have seen many people get confused between Parking Lights & Hazard Lights.

Parking lights are the small bulbs within the headlights which we switch ON when its little dark (evening/early morning). It works in tandem with the rear tail lights. You switch it on by turning your headlight switch by one position!!!

Hazard lights are also known as 4 way flashers. All the six amber colored (side included) turn signals come on at the same time. They are used to indicate that the vehicle is parked on the road or broken down. they are activated with the red triangle button, most probably on the dashboard.

Since, hazard lights are used while parking, I have often seen people referring to them as parking lights.

 

[kannan]

Nice info...
some people use the hazard light when they want to go straight in a 4 way intersection. i think taxi drivers started this silly idea. following suit one of my friends even installed this in his two-wheeler (some time back)

 

[raj_5004]

I have seen people using hazard lights in heavy rains. Even there, it is referred to as parking lights!

It can be dangerous. Imagine this situation. It raining like cars & dogs. Visibility is down to minimum. And all drivers are using their hazard lights even though their cars are not parked. You are on a 4 lane highway, on the fast lane. Now, there is actually a broken down car in the fast lane with it's hazard lights ON. you think that even it is moving, like all the other cars, as visibility is minimum.

By the time you realize, it is too late. Whose fault is it?

 

[kannan]

DO we have a thread here educating the rules, regulations and correct methods / mannerisms in road?
if not mods please start one and all senior members contribute...
it should cover most of the topics including modifications etc. and what are the levels that we should keep/ know before it starts braking regulations. i had a doubt and asked about the Headlamp restriction.
the normal rules and regulations are typed or printed in such a way that a normal man cannot understand them easily.. for that you have to read the whole story. may be that's what preventing people from reading it.

so why can't we make a change!

 

[cooldhaya]

Good thread Raj will help to educate many people. As you said i have seen many people using the hazard lamps during heavy rains which can be quite dangerous , they can use the headlamps and fog lamps instead. And also as Kannan said i see many people using the hazard lamps in 4 lane junctions while going straight , it looks so dumb!

 

[type-r]

well, i use hazards both while going straight at an intersection and during the rains.

i also have the headlights and fogs on at all times whether rain or not. :P but then raj, u say that if a car has broken down and can be a problem for other road users, but i think if it is raining that hard then i will be always driving very slow and carefully. so i for one it is not a hindrance.

 

[zengetz]

Good thread raj

My 2 cents, I normally use my hazards when I am uphill on a flyover with slow moving traffic to ensure the car behind is in safe distance. The problem which I face most of the time when I get on to the flyover half way uphill, there would be some stupid truck huffing and puffing up and cars behind normally would not realize the traffic ahead is slow and this is a great danger to get rear-ended.

Brake lights yes, but you can't drive with foot on the brake. So I use the Hazards to better warn people behind me not rush in and rear-end me

As soon as the road ahead is downhill, I turn them off.

Hope this helps

 

[mastersquall]

I have seen people using hazard lights in heavy rains. Even there, it is referred to as parking lights!

It can be dangerous. Imagine this situation. It raining like cars & dogs. Visibility is down to minimum. And all drivers are using their hazard lights even though their cars are not parked. You are on a 4 lane highway, on the fast lane. Now, there is actually a broken down car in the fast lane with it's hazard lights ON. you think that even it is moving, like all the other cars, as visibility is minimum.

By the time you realize, it is too late. Whose fault is it?

I don't agree when itself raining hard turning on hazard is good idea atleast person coming from back know there is car infront of him so he keeps distance. have you ever heard accident because of it I haven't

 

[Highway Ranger]

I always turn on the hazard light if I stop on the side of the road to change a tyre.

I also do that in case of heavy rain or fog, when visibility is very low/night.

Better safe than sorry. Blinking lights alerts people. I don't think there is any harm to the other cars because you use hazard lights in extreme conditions.

 

[kannan]

We can use hazard lights during rain. but it was not the original design purpose .

normally during day time when we have an emergency, we use headlights to warn others to give way (eg when going to hospital inc ase of accident etc.) but what about night. so we use both hazard light and headlight. (i used this effectively when taking my wife when she was in labour, to cut through one ways and intersection in the middle of night.)

what will happen if everybody is using hazard lights (during rain). who will understand that if someone had an emergency and give way.

 

[type-r]

I don't agree when itself raining hard turning on hazard is good idea atleast person coming from back know there is car infront of him so he keeps distance. have you ever heard accident because of it I haven't

yes exactly my point. i have the hazards only during extremely hard rain.

 

[MSN1]

I am using hazard lamp in following situations

* parked at wrong place due to broke down or repair
* driving on wrong direction (on wrong lane in one way) for some issues in the car or to cross and take the right way which i missed by few meters.
* under heavy fog or rain

Bought a LED for parking lights, have to fix it no my figo

 

[Prads]

When it rains I usually switch on the rear fog light(its there on swift & some marutis) but in other cars I just switch on the parking lights or set the headlights on low beam if its pouring & am on the high way.

I use hazard lights when I am slowing down from high speed for a speed breaker or there is a traffic barricade ahead forcing two lanes to merge into one(on highway),many cars(cabs also) use this on the highways.

I keep travelling between Bangalore-Mysore-Coorg every month & I have seen majority of the experienced drivers use this method to warn traffic behind them.

& many cars use hazard lamps when they see police interceptors waiting to catch speeding motorists on town outskirts along the highways

 

[raj_5004]

I never use hazard lights during rain because that is not the intended purpose. My car has rear & front fog lamps for that purpose & I use them.

Hazard lights mean the vehicle is stationary or broken down, which is why i feel its wrong to use them in a running vehicle. Also, when your hazard lights are ON, the turn indicators do not function. I understand that you may switch it off & give the turn signal, but that will just end up confusing the motorist behind you.

Just because an accident has not happened till now or we have not heard about it, should we continue this wrong practice & wait for an accident to happen?

 

[P3T3R]

Since, hazard lights are used while parking, I have often seen people referring to them as parking lights.

Nice info...
some people use the hazard light when they want to go straight in a 4 way intersection.

I have seen people using hazard lights in heavy rains.

I normally use my hazards when I am uphill on a flyover with slow moving traffic to ensure the car behind is in safe distance.

All wrong use of the hazard lights

I always turn on the hazard light if I stop on the side of the road to change a tyre.

This is one correct use.