Hazard Lights

excerpts ST forum

" ... Hazard lights should be used only when the vehicle is stationary. They warn other drivers that there is an obstruction and to take avoidance action.

It may be proper for a cabby to switch on the lights when picking up passengers along a road. However, it seems that some drivers and cabbies are using them as an all-purpose signal. They use them:

- While changing lanes, especially across multiple lanes.

- In rainy weather.

- When driving in a carpark looking for empty lots.

- When driving slowly in the left-most lane while looking for fares.

Drivers using hazard lights incorrectly pose a hazard as other drivers would not know their intentions and might make a wrong assumption, leading to accidents."

I'm guilty of switching on the hazard lights when the weather turns to the extreme, i.e. very heavy rain, and visibility is very low, and I'm driving extremely slowly due to that ... but is this behaviour worse off than the below:

- switching lanes without signalling at all

- not switching on the headlamps when it's dark - be it 7pm onwards or stormy weather

- road hogging

- overtaking other vehicles (extreme left lane) from the shoulder

- overtaking other vehicles recklessly from all directions

... I rest my case.