If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?
As of July 1st, 2021 the law in the state of Florida changed to allow drivers on the highways to use their hazard lights when conditions create “extremely low visibility.”
The rain has a strange effect on drivers, causing them to forget how to drive. Driving in Florida is difficult enough. People blame us for bad drivers, but most of the roads in South Florida are filled with tourists from around the world. It’s hard to tell who lives here and who are transplants half the time. The amount of snow birds clogging our roads are fun enough, but add the rain to that and you have a recipe for disaster.
I absolutely hate the fact that they allow hazard lights to be used instead of mandating drivers to use their headlights. Those who visit the “Sunshine State” need to have working windshield wipers. We get freak storms around 3 pm, that maybe as strong as a tropical storm and it could last for a mere five minutes. Being caught without functioning wipers could be a matter of life or death. Visitors also need to understand that when they neglect to turn on their headlights, it renders their vehicles virtually invisible to those around them. Your flashing hazards are little help. However, if you use our headlights, thus turning on your tail lights, the car behind you has a better gauge of the distance between the two of you.
*** The 3pm downpour that happened on my way inspired this post to our friend’s annual Three Kings’ party. It was pitch black, and I lost count after 30 vehicles, mostly those from out of state, drove with flashers but not headlights. ***