Are hazard lights required to come on automatically when a major crash occurs?
Asked by Wolseley
I've been watching a few dashcam vehicle crash videos online recently, with most seeming to originate in the Americas or Europe/Russia. In many of them the hazard warning lights seem to come on automatically when a major crash occurs. I guess this is a local requirement. Is there a similar ADR requirement in Australia?
Answered by CarsGuide
27 May 2021Plenty of cars now feature hazard lights that turn on automatically when the driver applies the brakes hard. It’s designed simply to warn drivers behind that something is happening ahead of them and they should use caution (and slow down). The practice of drivers hitting their hazard flashers when slowing quickly on a freeway was one that has been going on for many years in Europe, and the automation of this warning system for following vehicles was a natural extension of the clever use of electronics. Essentially, when the car’s computer detects that the driver has braked to, or beyond, a predetermined threshold, it switches on the flashers.
The function is not a mandatory one on Australian-delivered vehicles, but it’s certainly one that you might consider when choosing you next new car.