A recent video posted by the Ontario Provincial Police – West Region on Facebook about the use of four-way flashers while driving in low-visibility conditions, such as poor winter weather, has garnered many comments and a bit of controversy. In the video, OPP Sergeant Ed Sanchuk demonstrates that, when four-way flashers are engaged, brake lights do not illuminate for some vehicle makes and models, posing a potential hazard to other drivers.
When your flashers are activated, Sanchuk explains, “your brake lights at the rear do not illuminate unless you have a third brake light at the top. But a lot of drivers do not pay attention to the third brake light unfortunately.” This reduces the ability for other drivers to know whether or not you are slowing down and act accordingly, which could potentially put yourself and others in danger.
In a follow-up comment on the post, Sanchuk concedes that “some vehicles do not have this issue; however, I just posted this video to bring this to the attention of vehicle owners that may experience the same issue.” So, not all vehicle makes and models experience this problem, and with some vehicles the rear brake lights are separate from the signal lights and will still illuminate even if the flashers are on, but the OPP recommends using your hazard lights for emergencies only.
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But should you really never use your four-way flashers in poor weather conditions? Some commenters on the Facebook post found this recommendation hard to believe. But Sergeant Kerry Schmidt with the OPP’s Highway Safety Division says that it all depends on the circumstances of the situation.
“Hazard lights are used to show that you are a hazard, or that there is a hazard ahead,” Schmidt explains. “They should be used for a breakdown, flat tire, if you are blocking lanes, if there is a significant slowdown ahead, and generally when the vehicle is stopped and not in motion.” Otherwise, Schmidt says, you may be doing more harm than good.
There is also reduced ability for other drivers to know if you are changing lanes when four-way flashers are engaged, especially if the flashers use the same lights as the signal lights. Although a driver could disable the four-way flashers and engage the signals in order to make a lane change, Schmidt says this “would be a reasonable work-around, but only if you can turn your flashers off fast enough. There is reduced ability to act quickly in poor weather conditions.”
The same applies to braking: you could disable the flashers in order to clearly convey to other drivers that you are braking, but braking could happen at any moment and you may not have time to adequately prepare. Your best bet is to only use your hazard lights when absolutely necessary, such as during a roadside breakdown, Schmidt advises.
One situation when four-way flashers could be used during poor weather conditions is if a vehicle is struggling to gain traction or is losing control on icy roads. If your vehicle itself becomes a potential hazard, signalling this to other drivers may be warranted. “If you find it helpful for yourself and others, there is no hard-and-fast rule against having your four-ways on,” says Schmidt.
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Even still, the OPP maintains its recommendation that four-way flashers are not the most effective means of communicating hazards to other drivers in bad weather and they should not be used continuously while driving. Schmidt says what’s most effective is to drive slowly and cautiously in low-visibility conditions, have your full headlights on, be alert and extra attentive, and don’t travel unless necessary. “If you feel the need to have four-way flashers on continuously in poor conditions,” says Schmidt, “maybe you shouldn’t driving. Get off at the next exit and wait for conditions to improve.”
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