Is It Legal To Use Hazard Lights While Driving On Texas Roads?

You've no doubt seen someone doing it recently, you might've done it yourself. With the spring downpours in Dallas, TX, and across the state, has anyone else noticed an uptick in drivers using their hazards in hard rain?

So, is using hazards while driving legal in Texas?

Yes, it is completely legal here. Using your flashing hazard lights while moving is completely legal in the state of Texas.

They should only be used with extreme caution though, as once the hazards are flashing your turn indicators become useless and you can potentially become more of a danger on the road.

In Texas, it is legal to use your flashing hazard lights while you are moving. Hazard lights exist to make your car more visible to other drivers in any unsafe situation. That includes situations when your car is stalled on the road or situations when rain is so heavy that visibility is significantly reduced

I've heard it put this way by a police officer friend though, if you feel the weather is so bad that you want to turn on your hazards, you probably should avoid driving in it.

When a car has to pull off to the side of the road to change a tire, for a medical reason, or is stopped in heavy rain or fog, hazard lights should be used to to warn other drivers that they are stopped or disabled.

It's not the same in every state, but in the state of Texas, you are legally allowed to also use your hazard lights even when your car is moving.