Topic: 4 way flasher

[aquadorhj]

I was reading that other thread "does speed kill?" and thought about this.

We all have 4 way flashers on our cars,
(in case anybody doesn't know, it's this button
)
but I don't see many people use it.

I use it whenever situation warrants it.
i.e.  I come up to a dangerous debris, like furniture, piece of lumber, vehicle parts that are big enough to cause serious damage to me, my car or cars behind me.

or when there's something wrong with my car, (smoke coming out, loss of coolant, tire air pressure etc)
or i make sudden stop for child running across/pedestrian, animals encounters..
or i encounter change in road condition, i.e black ice, pool of water

to make people behind me aware that there's something to watch out for.

Not only that, use of 4 way flasher is mandatory by law in some provinces for vehicles traveling too slow for the road.


But I don't see many people use it at all.     come to think of it, when i learned to drive 16 years ago, instructor never told me anything about it.

shouldn't this be taught?  and what else do you use 4 way flasher for?

[tpl]

You need another poll entry.

Parking/passenger drop off/running into Timmys  etc in a no stopping zone.     

I bet that will be the most common use.

[jamie1]

Another entry needed. To say thank-you to the person behind you that let you merge.

[sailor723]

Saw a car using 4-ways on the highway Friday...they had slowed to about 60 in heavy rain (flow of traffic was down to about 80-90).

[johngenx]

Saw a car using 4-ways on the highway Friday...they had slowed to about 60 in heavy rain (flow of traffic was down to about 80-90).

A few weeks ago I was coming back from the mountains in the Miata and we got SLAMMED by a storm.  Vis was horrible and most cars were doing 50-60km/h.  Trucks, though, had not slowed at all.  So, traffic in the right lane was moving at 50, traffic (all large trucks) in the left lane moving at 120.  Crazy.  Most of us in cars were driving with our hazards on, hoping to increase our own visibility to the lunatics in the trucks.

In the mountains, I often come across wildlife on the road.  After passing it, I drive with my hazards on for a while to let oncoming traffic know there is something up ahead.

If I park on the shoulder, I use my hazards to let people know not only that I'm there, but that I'm not pulling out.

[2JDM]

Some people use them when they encounter heavy traffic on the highway, to warn others behind them to get on the brakes.

[HeliDriver]

Another entry needed. To say thank-you to the person behind you that let you merge.

That one has always bothered me a bit: they're meant to be a warning, so shouldn't be used frivolously, IMO.

Besides, the proper way to indicate "thank-you" in that situation is to alternate single flashes of the turn signal: one left flash, one right flash, one left flash. Of course, that's a bit of a pain, especially on newer cars that will automatically do multiple flashes with one tap of the stalk.

[johngenx]

Or a simple "thank you wave" will do...

[jamie1]

Another entry needed. To say thank-you to the person behind you that let you merge.

That one has always bothered me a bit: they're meant to be a warning, so shouldn't be used frivolously, IMO.

Besides, the proper way to indicate "thank-you" in that situation is to alternate single flashes of the turn signal: one left flash, one right flash, one left flash. Of course, that's a bit of a pain, especially on newer cars that will automatically do multiple flashes with one tap of the stalk.

What ever dude.

[jamie1]

Or a simple "thank you wave" will do...

I do that as well.

[dkaz]

Bus drivers sometime thank people with 4 way flashers.

I use 4 way flashers when I'm somehow forced to crawl up the snow shed on the Coq at 70 km/h.

[PJ]

Bus drivers sometime thank people with 4 way flashers.

I use 4 way flashers when I'm somehow forced to crawl up the snow shed on the Coq at 70 km/h.

Good for you, not many people driving cars do that there. The Coq is one place where I notice that almost all of the truck drivers use their four way flashers, going up hill and down. I ALWAYS use mine on the downhill stretch just before the Snow shed, as I find the curve quite sharp. I downshift one or two gears and approach the entrance with caution as I find that sometimes at the time of day that I am coming home, if its a bright day, my eyes take a few seconds to adjust to the different lighting conditions.

I don't see any reason for a car to use hazards along that stretch.  Big rigs and RV's sure but cars should have no trouble through there.

[dkaz]

I made a mistake with my approach speed and had no hope accelerating up there in a fully loaded Mazda 5. I was still passing other cars though.

I took that curve going home at a buck 50.  love my Mazda 3.

[aquadorhj]

thanks jamie,

i've never seen people use 4way flasher to indicate thanks, though.  interesting.

[tenpenny]

Bus drivers sometime thank people with 4 way flashers.

I use 4 way flashers when I'm somehow forced to crawl up the snow shed on the Coq at 70 km/h.

I was taught, and I'm sure there used to be signs, that if you were going less than 70 up a hill, to use your 4way flashers.


Sent from my Vic20 using Java Moose

[Northernridge]

Short term illegal parking. 

[sailor723]

Bus drivers sometime thank people with 4 way flashers.

I use 4 way flashers when I'm somehow forced to crawl up the snow shed on the Coq at 70 km/h.

I was taught, and I'm sure there used to be signs, that if you were going less than 70 up a hill, to use your 4way flashers.


Sent from my Vic20 using Java Moose

^^^^

Yep, I see trucks doing that all the time climbing the Cobequid Pass

[Ex-airbalancer]

Bus drivers sometime thank people with 4 way flashers.

I use 4 way flashers when I'm somehow forced to crawl up the snow shed on the Coq at 70 km/h.

I was taught, and I'm sure there used to be signs, that if you were going less than 70 up a hill, to use your 4way flashers.


Sent from my Vic20 using Java Moose

^^^^

Yep, I see trucks doing that all the time climbing the Cobequid Pass

I see all the time on the 401 with slow moving trucks

[JacobBlack]

I've only known them as "Hazard lights" (four-way flasher makes no sense to me at all, especially now there are at least 6 of them on each car).
I use them to indicate hazards, whether there is one on the road (slow cars ahead, treee across the road, etc), of if I am the hazard at the time (ie: my busted-a@# car broke down, I done #####ked up, or I'm driving like a nanny because I'm a wuss)
I was under the impression it was illegal to use them for any other purpose.

[Ex-airbalancer]

I've only known them as "Hazard lights" (four-way flasher makes no sense to me at all, especially now there are at least 6 of them on each car).
I use them to indicate hazards, whether there is one on the road (slow cars ahead, treee across the road, etc), of if I am the hazard at the time (ie: my busted-a@# car broke down, I done #####ked up, or I'm driving like a nanny because I'm a wuss)
I was under the impression it was illegal to use them for any other purpose.

You are in Canada now, get with the program