Four Way Flashers

[1990C4S]

I travel back and forth across the border a lot. Like multiple times per week.

Why do people find it necessary to put on their four ways to cross a ****ing bridge? It drives me crazy.

At least 25% of people do this. I don't get it...traffic is NOT stopped.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

I travel back and forth across the border a lot. Like multiple times per week.

Why do people find it necessary to put on their four ways to cross a ****ing bridge? It drives me crazy.

At least 25% of people do this. I don't get it...traffic is NOT stopped.

Down here in the SE that is the go to move in the rain. It makes me rage.

My father was a truck driver, he taught me when I was young that you throw them on when the highway is coming to a stop to warn other truckers to stop. This gives them room to slow down and lessens the likely hood of them plowing into suddenly stopped traffic.

This new wave of using flasher while moving along in the rain has cancelled out what was once a very effective safety measure.

You can get ticketed here for it, I have never seen anyone get pulled over for it. I feel it should carry a worse fine than speeding. It is more reckless IMHO.

[1990C4S]

I can accept four ways in the rain, or bad weather in general, if the traffic ahead has stopped.

You do not need four ways to announce 'I am driving'...

[KFC911]

I thought this thread was about twins....with pics.

Very disappointed....

If ya speed up to 55, on I-95, ya just gotta use them....you are stopped

[john70t]

Sick of tail-gaters who believe they can force the line to move faster?
(traffic engineering studies actually prove the opposite)

idk

[masraum]

Drives me nuts as well, lots of folks use them lots of times, driving in the rain, several cars following each other someplace, occasionally it's just one car driving normally at the same speed as the flow of traffic on the interstate in any lane, etc.... It irritates me too. I don't think I've seen the driving across a bridge thing.

The one that I find the most annoying is when 5-10 cars are all going someplace and they all have their hazard flashers on even if the weather is perfect.

[flatbutt]

Prolly the same reason people sound their horns for "whatever" when they're for emergency or "oh seet" moments.

[gtc]

How can people learn to do this, yet they can't learn how to keep right except to pass?

[jcommin]

I have seen drivers use the 4 ways driving on the shoulders of expressways during heavy traffic.

My biggest pet peeve is the use of 4 ways to double park on Chicago neighborhood streets. I guess that makes it ok.

[wdfifteen]

In heavy rain or fog it makes the other vehicle more visible. I think “emergency” flashers is a misnomer.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by KC911

I thought this thread was about twins....with pics.

Very disappointed....

If ya speed up to 55, on I-95, ya just gotta use them....you are stopped

The Florida Highway Patrol is now writing tickets to the idiots who use the Flashers in the rain. Jim is correct, using in the rain is crap and idiotic.

[john70t]

That is not right, imo.

When you're driving through torrential rain..with ten feet of visibility..the flashers are the only things visible.
It's the only thing that keeps the knuckleheads doing ninety at bay.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by john70t

That is not right, imo.

When you're driving through torrential rain..with ten feet of visibility..the flashers are the only things visible.
It's the only thing that keeps the knuckleheads doing ninety at bay.

Wrong, that is what lights are for, flashers are for stopped cars. If you ignore the tail lights, and get use to flashers, how long before idiots say that flashers don't stand out??

[legion]

Originally Posted by Jims5543

Down here in the SE that is the go to move in the rain. It makes me rage.

My father was a truck driver, he taught me when I was young that you throw them on when the highway is coming to a stop to warn other truckers to stop. This gives them room to slow down and lessens the likely hood of them plowing into suddenly stopped traffic.

This new wave of using flasher while moving along in the rain has cancelled out what was once a very effective safety measure.

You can get ticketed here for it, I have never seen anyone get pulled over for it. I feel it should carry a worse fine than speeding. It is more reckless IMHO.

I'd never seen it until the year I lived in Georgia. One morning I was driving to work at 5 a.m., doing 75 (speed limit) on I-85 in moderate rain. Between the RainX and wipers, I could see just fine. I came over a hill and almost hit a vehicle doing 15 mph with his flashers on with wipers and other lights off. WTF? He shouldn't have been on the interstate.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by Racerbvd

Wrong, that is what lights are for, flashers are for stopped cars. If you ignore the tail lights, and get use to flashers, how long before idiots say that flashers don't stand out??

The first few times I encountered this new stupid phenomenon, I lifted and prepared top stop, only to realize the 4 way flashers were running away into the distance.



Last summer some moron was driving on a local surface road in the rain at night with his flashers on, they were LED lights and blinding. I was in my lifted FJ Cruiser, I got up behind him and hit my high beams in rhythm with his flashers, only took about 300 yards for him to turn them off.

I have never wanted to harm people more than these idiots with flashers in the rain, I seriously rage over it, my wife gets anxiety driving with me screaming in the car at these idiots on the road.

[Crowbob]

I put ‘em on when traffic has to slow for a stopped cop car on the shoulder, construction or some such disruption of normal flow.

[legion]

The only time I ever put flashers on, I was driving south through Central Wisconsin on I-39 in the middle of the day. There was no traffic around. I hit a torrential downpour. It got as dark as night. The rain was coming down so hard I couldn't tell where the lines were, let alone where the road was. I came to a stop and threw on my hazards until the storm passed. Good thing too, as I was at a 30º angle to the road. Had I gone on much longer, I'd have been in the ditch.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by legion

I'd never seen it until the year I lived in Georgia. One morning I was driving to work at 5 a.m., doing 75 (speed limit) on I-85 in moderate rain. Between the RainX and wipers, I could see just fine. I came over a hill and almost hit a vehicle doing 15 mph with his flashers on with wipers and other lights off. WTF? He shouldn't have been on the interstate.

The car could have been on limp mode. Did you see him pass an exit? If so, then he was wrong and you are right. I sometimes use flashers in active construction zones. I do this to let the workers know I am aware. Too many idiots do not slow down for construction when it's posted so. Even when it says fines doubled.

[legion]

Originally Posted by Zeke

The car could have been on limp mode. Did you see him pass an exit? If so, then he was wrong and you are right. I sometimes use flashers in active construction zones. I do this to let the workers know I am aware. Too many idiots do not slow down for construction when it's posted so. Even when it says fines doubled.

16 lane highway (8 in each direction) and he was in the second lane from the left. You'd think he'd be in the far right lane.

[GothingNC]

Laws about driving with flashers on vary by state.

Curious about the law where you live? AAA provided this state-by-state breakdown:

Alabama: The use of hazard lights is permitted while driving unless otherwise posted.
Alaska: The use of hazard lights is not permitted while driving.
Arizona: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except in an emergency situation.
Arkansas: Hazard light usage is not permitted while driving except to indicate a traffic hazard.
California: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except to indicate a traffic hazard.
Colorado: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except if the vehicle speed is 25 mph or less.
Connecticut: Hazard light use is permitted while driving unless otherwise posted.
Delaware: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except to indicate a traffic hazard.
District of Columbia: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.
Florida: The use of hazard lights is not permitted while driving.
Georgia: The use of hazard lights is permitted while driving.
Hawaii: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving.
Idaho: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except to indicate the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing.
Illinois: The use of hazard lights is not permitted while driving.
Indiana: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except in emergency situations.
Iowa: The use of hazard lights are not permitted while driving except to indicate a traffic hazard.
Kansas: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving.
Kentucky: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.
Louisiana: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving.
Maine: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving unless to indicate a traffic hazard.
Maryland: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except in emergency situations.
Massachusetts: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving.
Michigan: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.
Minnesota: Hazard lights are not permitted while driving except to indicate a traffic hazard.
Mississippi: Hazard light usage is permitted while driving.
Missouri: Hazard light usage is permitted while driving.
Montana: Hazard lights are not permitted while driving except to indicate a traffic hazard.
Nebraska: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.
Nevada: Hazard light usage is not permitted while driving.
New Hampshire: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.
New Jersey: The use of hazard lights is permitted while driving.
New Mexico: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving.
New York: Hazard light use is permitted while driving unless otherwise posted.
North Carolina: Hazard light use is permitted while driving unless otherwise posted.
North Dakota: Hazard light use is permitted while driving unless otherwise posted.
Ohio: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except when a hazardous condition is present.
Oklahoma: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except in emergency situations and to indicate a traffic hazard.
Oregon: Hazard light use is permitted while driving unless otherwise posted.
Pennsylvania: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.
Rhode Island: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving.
South Carolina: Hazard lights may be used while driving for the purpose of warning the operators of other vehicles of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing.
South Dakota: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.
Tennessee: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except in emergency situations.
Texas: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.
Utah: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.
Vermont: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.
Virginia: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except for emergency vehicles, stopped or slowed vehicles to indicate a traffic hazard, when traveling as part of a funeral procession, or traveling slower than 30 mph.
Washington: Hazard light use is not permitted while driving except to indicate a traffic hazard.
West Virginia: Hazard lights are not permitted while driving except in emergency situations.
Wisconsin: Hazard lights are not permitted while driving except to indicate a traffic hazard or when a hazardous condition is present.
Wyoming: Hazard light use is permitted while driving.