Whenever I hit traffic and need to hit the brake hard on the highway and know someone is behind me I like to hit the hazard light button, but I found the hazard light button out of reach in emergency situation. Do you guys found the location of the hazard light button out of reach? Why would toyota put the 4 wheel lock button closer to the driver? How often do people actually use the 4 wheel lock vs the hazard light button? Have any of you guys swap location of the two button?
It's still pretty useful for emergency situations. Here ..cattle farmers let their animals run wild on the main highway and the authorities do nothing about it. You can't just slam your brakes when a 1500lb cow appears out of nowhere and expect the drivers behind to know to stop OR not overtake you when you slow down.
Whenever I hit traffic and need to hit the brake hard on the highway and know someone is behind me I like to hit the hazard light button, but I found the hazard light button out of reach in emergency situation. Do you guys found the location of the hazard light button out of reach? Why would toyota put the 4 wheel lock button closer to the driver? How often do people actually use the 4 wheel lock vs the hazard light button? Have any of you guys swap location of the two button?
Also called "hazards", "hazard warning flashers", "hazard warning lights", "4-way flashers", or simply "flashers". International regulations require vehicles to be equipped with a control which, when activated, flashes the left and right directional signals, front and rear, all at the same time and in phase.[5][15] This function is meant to be used to indicate a hazard such as a vehicle stopped in or alongside moving traffic, a disabled vehicle, an exceptionally slow-moving vehicle (including, for example, trucks climbing steep grades on Canadian expressways), or the presence of stopped/slow moving traffic ahead on a high speed road. Some people are known to use them in severe fog conditions, or simply when the vehicle has become a traffic hazard. Operation of the hazard flashers must be from a control independent of the turn signal control, and audiovisual telltale must be provided to the driver. In vehicles with a separate left and right green turn signal indicator on the dashboard, both left and right indicators may flash to provide visual indication of the hazard flashers' operation. Also known as Hazard Signal in some parts of the world, it should never be used when the vehicle is moving. In some cases, when the driver that has his/her hazard signal ON, and uses the indicator to switch lanes or turn, other road users won't know that the vehicle is switching lanes or turning and therefore causes danger. In vehicles with a single green turn signal indicator on the dashboard, a separate red indicator light must be provided for hazard flasher indication.
Heck...I've been 4-WAY FLASHING for years to warn people behind me to slow down, especially when I see moving traffic ahead of me either slow down or come to a dead stop! :egad:
Seems fine to me. I use them whenever I"m driving unusually slowly, stopped on the roadway or near it and to slow and warn both drivers in front and behind me that there are deer, etc in the road. However, I'm never at a loss for time or location. The way I figure, if you have time to worry about where the hazards are, those behind you have time for you to find it. If you're in a situation that warrants some hazard flashing within milliseconds, then you should be more focused on your own dangerous situation at hand.
That being said, if it's that big a deal and you would like it closer, (which I guess is all you ever asked. :wink: ), then the button swap mentioned previously, would seem to me, to be the easiest.
I'm not telling toyota to issue a TSB for it. I'm just saying the hazard light button should be place closer to the driver. I'm sure they'll be more than happy us as consumer provide their engineer with feedbacks about the car.
They need to let us design/give feedback on the next generation of Rav4's. Does anyone know where the 4.2 Rav4's have theirs located? Maybe it's a legacy design.
They need to let us design/give feedback on the next generation of Rav4's. Does anyone know where the 4.2 Rav4's have theirs located? Maybe it's a legacy design.
The hazard button is not only for the driver to use. The passenger has to have access to it also, in case something happens and the driver is incapacitated. That's why it is placed the way it is. In every one of our vehicles, it is primarily in the center of the vehicle between the driver and passenger.
I think the lights are where it is, is because in Japan, it is closer to the driver. right-hand drive no? It's a minor thing to most driver so Toyota probably got lazy and just left it where it is.
This is actually the first time that I read where people uses the hazards in those kind of extreme braking situation. Still don't really get the use for it since if you flash the hazards, that doesn't necessarily mean the guy in the back of you will brake or notice it.
idk, the drivers in hawaii are pretty old (70+) so that's why I probably see different reaction than you guys.
Anyway, I think Audi and other luxury brand automatically flashes the lights when braking hard.
Well they're probably not averging 70 but overall Hawaii has a higher percent of elderly drivers than most states. This is simply observation but around town in the afternoon, you will see a lot elderly people that can barely see over the dashboard and some don't have enough strength to really turn the steering wheel.
If you go to Costco On a Tuesday or Thursday, you'll see what I mean. The worst place would probably be the Don Quxiote store on Oahu. Every Wednesday they have senior discount for 65 or older. If you go there in the morning, you'll see a lot elderly trying to park their lexus es
Whenever I hit traffic and need to hit the brake hard on the highway and know someone is behind me I like to hit the hazard light button, but I found the hazard light button out of reach in emergency situation. Do you guys found the location of the hazard light button out of reach?
I do the same thing. It does alert the following drivers and they always slow down. I can reach the button, but it took me a while to get accustomed to its location.
I don't know about the hazards of "pretty old" drivers in Hawai'i, but I do know that a lot of drivers, whatever their age, especially drivers south of Hilo -- and most especially drivers of pickup trucks -- demonstrate a disturbing propensity to wait until an approaching car (our rental vehicle) is almost upon them before either making a left turn or pulling out onto the highway (turning left or right) from a side street. It's not so bad north of Kailua/Kona in my experience. Anyway, whenever and wherever we drive in the islands, we are always on guard. :shrug:
RickB, you're in Windsor? Small world. My aunt lives there. In fact, from the picture of your RAV, it looks like you could be living on the same street (Walten Way) or close by.
Never used it myself, but I believe that when you push the button, it "locks" the car in 4-wheel drive no matter what. With AWD, I believe that the RAV makes its own decisions about where and when to send the engine's power to all four wheels. I seem to recall that the owner's manual says that it only works under 25 mph. I guess "locked" 4wd is useful when you're dealing with snowy roads. But you couldn't plow through a big drift with it.
The 4WD switch is a momentary switch that tells the 4WD lock to toggle if the car is under 25 MPH. Above 25MPH, the 4WD lock goes to 'off' automatically; you don't need to press the switch to keep the 4WD lock from coming back 'on' after the 4WD has switched off.
The flasher switch toggles mechanically to power or de-power the flashers. You need to poke the switch to turn from on to off or vice versa.
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