Hazard Lights and Emergency

Question

Dear Arrive Alive team, First off, I would like to thank you very much for the assistance you previously gave me regarding a similar situation. I would be even more appreciative if you could once again assist me in a query that I have. I have read the regulations that you directed me to regarding hazard lights, but I would like to take the advise that you gave me one step further, and I would appreciate the advice from you guys who are the experts. I know from reading the regulations, that a person can only engage his hazard lights in two situations, one being when the vehicle is stationary in a hazardous position. I would like to know the following: must the reason causing the driver to have his vehicle there in the first place be one of an emergency or something of that nature OR can one park in a hazardous position for a non- essential reason and put on your hazard lights? My understanding of the regulations would imply that one can only be stationary in a hazardous position if it warrants an emergency or the like. It cannot be there for any random reason. Please could you direct me to some regulations to shed some light on the above if possible?

Answer

The legislation (Regulation 198, paragraphs 5 & 6) refers to “operating all direction indicators simultaneously” under the following two conditions:
a) stationary in a hazardous position (this means constituting a danger to all road users);
b) moving in an emergency situation (anything that is NOT normal in nature and constitutes some sort of emergency);

The legislation stipulates that these lamps shall not be switched on for any other reason apart from the two mentioned.