It's that time of year again in Florida when it rains and we are in the middle of hurricane season. With the rain comes many issues, one of the top issues being driving in the rain. If you are like me and you have always lived in Florida, it is a normal part of life, but this is Florida and we have many people who have moved here from other states and countries.
This means the laws may be different where you come from. First and foremost, if you feel like you can't see what's going on with the road in front of you, pull off to a parking lot or the side of the road. Please do not turn on your hazard lights.
Today, I was driving in the rain and the person in front of me had their hazard lights on. I couldn’t tell if they were slowing down, stopping, or turning. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has experienced this here in Florida. I have heard it's illegal to drive with hazards on but wanted to find out for sure.
This is what I found out. According to the 2016 Florida State Statute 316.2419(7)(a). Here is the statute as it reads on the Florida state legislation website.
Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles, except as a means of indicating a right or left turn, to change lanes or to indicate that the vehicle is lawfully stopped or disabled on the highway.
This means that you may not drive with your hazard lights on during the rain. It is actually less safe to drive with your hazards on. I have been on the highway many times here in Florida where people have their hazard lights on and it makes it so much harder to see what is going on in the rain. Please turn off your hazard lights and just turn on your lights as if it was night. This way others know you are on the road but you will not be causing them trouble telling where and what you are doing on the road.
