# I'm A Hazard



## numbnuts (27 May 2015)

Today a car was behind me waiting to over take and he had his hazards lights on as soon as he passed he switched them off, anybody else had that.


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## TreeHuggery (27 May 2015)

no, but my mother in law, used to have a terrible habit of hooting at cyclists as she drove past them - just to let them know she was there.....


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## sight-pin (27 May 2015)

numbnuts said:


> Today a car was behind me waiting to over take and he had his hazards lights on as soon as he passed he switched them off, anybody else had that.



I use the hazard lights sometimes for that, also have them on and slow right down when passing an ice cream van in a back turning where i can see kids being served, it's just to warn any motorist behind of a possible child running out.
Should i not do that then do you think?


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## Profpointy (27 May 2015)

sight-pin said:


> I use the hazard lights sometimes for that, also have them on and slow right down when passing an ice cream van in a back turning where i can see kids being served, it's just to warn any motorist behind of a possible child running out.
> Should i not do that then do you think?



one snag is people use them as "park anywhere" lights so peeps behind might think you've stopped / are stopping and hence zoom past. If you're passing the ice cream van I'd indicate normally and just drive v alow


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## Glow worm (27 May 2015)

I've not had the hazard light thing- yet anyway! I do get a lot of "lurkers" - the drivers that sit on your back wheel for ages even when the road ahead is straight and clear for a safe overtake. Most odd. Although annoying, I guess I prefer lurkers to the psychopaths.


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## Mugshot (27 May 2015)

Profpointy said:


> one snag is people use them as "park anywhere" lights so peeps behind might think you've stopped / are stopping and hence zoom past. If you're passing the ice cream van I'd indicate normally and just drive v alow


Ah yes, the old "I am parked illegally and am causing an obstruction, but I have my hazard lights on so it's all good."


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## byegad (27 May 2015)

Not only do I get Lurkers but also oncoming gleggers*. They slow right down as they get near, thus forcing the lurker to wait even longer for a clear road to overtake. 

*To gleg _(verb) _To look in bemused confusion at something while causing extreme inconvenience to all.


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## sight-pin (27 May 2015)

Profpointy said:


> one snag is people use them as "park anywhere" lights so peeps behind might think you've stopped / are stopping and hence zoom past. If you're passing the ice cream van I'd indicate normally and just drive v alow


That's possibility yes, but it's only on narrow or restricted roads i'd put them on for a cyclist.
As for the ice cream van, i always pass slowly, a long time back i did have a child run right out in front,Stopped in plenty of time so no problem, but some motorist are eager to pass a slow driving vehicle as well.
Out of interest...I've also noticed when sometimes abroad, motorist put hazards on when approaching a slow moving or stopped queue of traffic, then switch them off when another vehicle comes behind them with there hazards on. seems a good idea to me.


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## Spinney (27 May 2015)

sight-pin said:


> Out of interest...I've also noticed when sometimes abroad, motorist put hazards on when approaching a slow moving or stopped queue of traffic, then switch them off when another vehicle comes behind them with there hazards on. seems a good idea to me.


I do this if approaching a queue on the motorway - indicates to those behind that you are seriously slowing down, not just losing a little speed. I've seen lots of others do this as well in the UK.


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## MikeW-71 (27 May 2015)

Glow worm said:


> I've not had the hazard light thing- yet anyway! I do get a lot of "lurkers" - the drivers that sit on your back wheel for ages even when the road ahead is straight and clear for a safe overtake. Most odd. Although annoying, I guess I prefer lurkers to the psychopaths.


I had a lurker yesterday. Going to my parents, there's a short hill that's just steep enough to get me slowed down to single-digit speeds. The road's pretty wide and usually traffic will pass after the narrow bit near the bottom. This time a massive artic sat behind me for the minute it takes me to frantically winch myself to the top


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## MontyVeda (27 May 2015)

numbnuts said:


> Today a car was behind me waiting to over take and he had his hazards lights on as soon as he passed he switched them off, anybody else had that.


I think that's a sign of a conscientious driver. In my experience as a passenger, many people never seem use their hazard lights, and a few do... seemingly to warn any vehicles behind that they're slowing sharper than expected (brake lights are either on or off), or maybe just because they've spotted something on the road ahead that the car behind maybe hasn't. I reckon it's a way of communicating with the car behind, although i suspect many drivers don't think of them like that... or even know what the button's for.


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## Falco Frank (27 May 2015)

I'm still coming to terms with control on my 'bent & tend to wander a little at times.

If a driver wants to give me a wide berth (for whatever reason really) and whatever they might think of me, as long as it keeps us both safe then its fine by me.


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## Dogtrousers (27 May 2015)

According to the Highway code, the only time you are permitted to use hazards while moving is on a M-way or dual carriageway to warn drivers behind of an obstruction ahead. Apart from that you "must not" (note the must) use them while moving. Come to think of it, that's probably the only time I've ever used mine. Except ...

Apart from an incident recently where a cyclist fell off on a roundabout in front of me (clipless embarrassment fall, not serious). I waited while he got up out of the road and put my hazards on as I was stationary on the roundabout.


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## Yellow Saddle (27 May 2015)

sight-pin said:


> I use the hazard lights sometimes for that, also have them on and slow right down when passing an ice cream van in a back turning where i can see kids being served, it's just to warn any motorist behind of a possible child running out.
> Should i not do that then do you think?


In many countries it is illegal to have your hazards on whilst the vehicle is moving. It prevents you from indicating your intention to turn.

I once sat on my bicycle, on the heels of a TLB with its hazards on, going slowly up a hill. I waited until it was safe to overtake (in my bike) and went for it. He suddenly swerved and turned. We had some words after that but I soon realized that he had indicated, it was just that his hazards were on and the indicator is lost in that case.


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## arallsopp (10 Jun 2015)

I'm a lurker. So is my other half. We looked for a long time for something we could put on the front of the car that would let the bike in front know that we weren't frustrated, weren't about to slam around them, weren't hunting for the right gear, didn't need them to speed up, were quite happy to wait for a safe pass.

People tend to see the British Cycling sticker in the back window when we do come by and give a friendly wave in recognition of our courtesy... but it doesn't stop them getting red in the face trying not to be 'in our way'.

Maybe I'll permanently mount a bike carrier to the roof bars. There's plenty of roads round ours where safe passes have to wait, and its a little damning to think that the general assumption is we won't be courteous.


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## BenM (12 Jun 2015)

> In many countries it is illegal to have your hazards on whilst the vehicle is moving. It prevents you from indicating your intention to turn.



At a slight tangent to the thread... there are many events with associated camp sites in the UK where house rules state that you MUST have hazards on when moving; the organisers cite 'elf and safety but IMHO obviously lack common sense or judgement... No requirement for cycling with hazards on though 

B.


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## Phaeton (12 Jun 2015)

BenM said:


> At a slight tangent to the thread... there are many events with associated camp sites in the UK where house rules state that you MUST have hazards on when moving; the organisers cite 'elf and safety but IMHO obviously lack common sense or judgement... No requirement for cycling with hazards on though


It is also quite common for HGV drivers to have to drive around warehouse yards with them on, however that is not on the highway, where as previously stated they should not be used whilst moving, just like they should not be used whilst being towed which seems to be another favourite.


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## sight-pin (12 Jun 2015)

Phaeton said:


> It is also quite common for HGV drivers to have to drive around warehouse yards with them on, however that is not on the highway, where as previously stated they should not be used whilst moving, just like they should not be used whilst being towed which seems to be another favourite.



Ok.... Lets say your driving down the road and you come up against a large hgv moving very slowly, no indicators or hazards on, your view in front is obstructed but you have just enough room to overtake and you have been following for a mile or two etc......what do you do?


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## Dogtrousers (12 Jun 2015)

sight-pin said:


> Ok.... Lets say your driving down the road and you come up against a large hgv moving very slowly, no indicators or hazards on, your view in front is obstructed but you have just enough room to overtake and you have been following for a mile or two etc......what do you do?


Wait until my view is not obstructed and then overtake if safe. Or more likely - take a random turning in the hope of finding a shortcut and get lost.


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## sight-pin (12 Jun 2015)

But their maybe was nervous riders on horses close in front of the hgv, and now the riders have been chucked and the horses bolted down the road....lol
It's just imo, but if the hgv had hazards on you would know something could be in front and needs caution with overtaking.


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## Phaeton (12 Jun 2015)

sight-pin said:


> Ok.... Lets say your driving down the road and you come up against a large hgv moving very slowly, no indicators or hazards on, your view in front is obstructed but you have just enough room to overtake and you have been following for a mile or two etc......what do you do?





Dogtrousers said:


> Wait until my view is not obstructed and then overtake if safe.


^^^^This, unless I could see 100% that it was clear I wouldn't overtake, I may try to move out across the road to get a better view.


sight-pin said:


> But their maybe was nervous riders on horses close in front of the hgv, and now the riders have been chucked and the horses bolted down the road....lol


If this were the case I would expect the HGV to have stopped as they would by now of run over the fallen rider, therefore making it legal to put on their hazards


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## w00hoo_kent (12 Jun 2015)

arallsopp said:


> Maybe I'll permanently mount a bike carrier to the roof bars. There's plenty of roads round ours where safe passes have to wait, and its a little damning to think that the general assumption is we won't be courteous.



I wish having a bike rack, or even the bike in the back of the car suggesting they've just finished what I'm still doing, was an indication that the car driver wasn't going to be a nobber. I think it's just what happens to some people when they get behind the wheel.



BenM said:


> At a slight tangent to the thread... there are many events with associated camp sites in the UK where house rules state that you MUST have hazards on when moving; the organisers cite 'elf and safety but IMHO obviously lack common sense or judgement...



Our site has both 5mph (you know, the speed too low to actually appear on a speedo) and must drive with hazards on. It's a menace. I tend to just leave the car on tickover to try and adhere to the speed limit, but I have a 90 degree turn across pedestrian traffic to get in to my bit of the site which is great with hazards on and randomly meandering students. Lucky I'm a very patient person.


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## sight-pin (12 Jun 2015)

Phaeton said:


> If this were the case I would expect the HGV to have stopped as they would by now of run over the fallen rider, therefore making it legal to put on their hazards



But the hgv could be moving from farm to farm with the riders and horses.


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## Phaeton (12 Jun 2015)

sight-pin said:


> But the hgv could be moving from farm to farm with the riders and horses.


And?


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## sight-pin (12 Jun 2015)

And i'd probably do the same same as you with that scenario, but i was just trying to show that having hazards on in a vehicle is maybe the best thing to do, .....
It was just a response to your text > 


Phaeton said:


> where as previously stated they should not be used whilst moving


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## Phaeton (12 Jun 2015)

sight-pin said:


> And i'd probably do the same same as you with that scenario, but i was just trying to show that having hazards on in a vehicle is maybe the best thing to do, .....
> It was just a response to your text >


Ah okay, but as previous I'd prefer them not to be used when moving, however I am now going to contradict myself & there is one situation where with a HGV or a vehicle towing a caravan/trailer it is acceptable. Pulling up to swing the wrong way across a road before they start to reverse down a adjoining road, in an ideal world they would have a banksman but that is not always possible.


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## arallsopp (12 Jun 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> I wish having a bike rack, or even the bike in the back of the car suggesting they've just finished what I'm still doing, was an indication that the car driver wasn't going to be a nobber. I think it's just what happens to some people when they get behind the wheel.



Quite right, I'm afraid. As H.G. Wells didn't quite say, "every time I see moronic driving from a car carrying a bicycle, I despair for the future of the human race"


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## Accy cyclist (16 Jun 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Ah yes, the old "I am parked illegally and am causing an obstruction, but I have my hazard lights on so it's all good."




Yes the i'm creating the hazard through stupidity or laziess so i'll do the right thing and let everyone know i'm a hazard, As apposed to i've become a hazard through no fault of my own!


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