Did You Know It’s Illegal in Louisiana to Drive With Flashing Lights in a Storm?

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - It's a common practice I see often while a storm is pounding the roadways.

You may think you are doing something to keep you and other drivers around you safe but Louisiana State Police say you are not. And, troopers point out, it's actually illegal.

According to Louisiana RS 32:327 §327 C. "Flashing lights are prohibited except on authorized emergency vehicles, school buses, or on any vehicle as a means of indicating a right or left turn, or the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing."

This is something I learned recently in a discussion with a state trooper. I thought the turning on the hazards couldn't hurt, especially in instances when the downpour is very heavy and you are driving on the Interstate 10 Atchafalaya Basin Bridge (just to give an example). But, when the trooper explained the following message from his agency to me, I completely understood.

"Hazards can make it difficult for others to see turn signals or brake lights, or cause them to think you are stopped in the road," the agency explained in the tweet. "Also, a car that is stalled w/ hazards on may get hit by a driver who doesn’t anticipate proper braking distance because they think the car is moving."