[xlipower]

I have discovered one thing about the i30 that I don't like.. I would like to think that it is only a problem because I don't use it that often, but every time I suddenly have to hit the button for the hazard lights (like on motorway when the traffic suddenly slows), I always reach out for the button located just over the CD slot.. Except it's not there. It's waaay down by my knee.

I think this is a unfortunate placing of this button, as it should be easy to reach in a "panic" situation.. Anyone other who has the same problem...?

Of course, it looks nicer not to have a big button on the top of the dash, but still.. Find it funny, since the rest of the interior is in my opinion perfect..

[Dazzler]

Hi,

If you had asked me where the Hazard button was I would struggle to remember...  Think I have probably only used it once in 2 years (although I live in a different environment to you)

So no problem here...

[2i30s]

I'm the same way of thinking as dazz is.i had to think about where it was for a second.i reach for the hazard button on the top of the steering column each time I've used it. that's where its been on my last 3 cars.

[Dazzler]

I don't think many have a problem with the location can barely think of another mention of it on  the site..

[Shambles]

I do mostly motorway driving, which infers I'm always joining traffic that's doing 60-70 mph. I use my hazards as a "cheers mate, thanks for recognising that I'm joining your lane at your speed" so I hit the switch quite often.

Nicely positioned switch IMHO.

[xlipower]

Then it must just be me  

It´s common on Danish motorways when traffic slows, so when driving in heavy traffic, I actually use them quite often..

But again, this is the only little problem I can think of with the car - pretty impressing i think:)

[Brew69]

Wow, it makes Australian driving seem boring. I have been driving for 25 years and have never used the hazard lights on any car i have owned.

[stkman]

Likes Shambles, I use mine to say "thanks" ... I think the position is great. Better than all my previous cars.

Likes Shambles, I use mine to say "thanks" ... I think the position is great. Better than all my previous cars.

An interesting use of said lights. I'm pretty certain in Oz that it is an offence to use hazards for any other use. Along with the horn except for legitimate warning, "flashing" high beams etc. I've never used hazard lights either... ever!

[saunaman]

In Finland hazard lights may only be used if the vehicle has stopped because of an accident, damage or some other compelling reason in a place where it can cause a specific hazard to other traffic.

So the situations where I have ever needed the hazard lights are very rare. Having the hazards on whilst driving is a definite no-no here.

[Dazzler]

Funny how different countries do different things .. certainly not the norm in Australia to thank someone with the hazard flashers (a toot and a wave is more the norm)

[asathorny]

Funny how different countries do different things .. certainly not the norm in Australia to thank someone with the hazard flashers (a toot and a wave is more the norm)

But Dazzler, we have ten cars to every square inch here, whereas you have maybe one car for each square mile....  When I go to Canada, which I assume is very much like OZ in terms of traffic congestion, and as I sometime do, get onto highway 11 across the great plains heading towards the Rockies I might pass the odd moose or two in several hours and if I see another car coming the other way it causes general excitement.

Where I live the moment I move from my street I am in dense traffic instantly and like the others from the UK I give a quick hazard flash when let into the traffic on the motorway,  mainly based on gratitude 

The sort of wave you may get over here would probably be the single middle finger pointed skywards 

I also think the button is pretty well placed.

A

[2i30s]

Likes Shambles, I use mine to say "thanks" ... I think the position is great. Better than all my previous cars.

An interesting use of said lights. I'm pretty certain in Oz that it is an offence to use hazards for any other use. Along with the horn except for legitimate warning, "flashing" high beams etc. I've never used hazard lights either... ever!

one of my freinds was fined for tooting the horn when leaving my house after visiting.

[Dazzler]

one of my freinds was fined for tooting the horn when leaving my house after visiting.

My Stepdaughter toots her horn everytime she leaves our house..(and that is fairly often  ) she is usually still on our driveway at the time so that might stop a fine 

[2i30s]

possibly. 

[eye30]

Likes Shambles, I use mine to say "thanks" ...

I put my left hand up and wave.

[Lakes]

well, i use my hazard lights every time i stop on side of road, specially in the bush. my button on my SX poverty pack is dead center , i think it's right were the SLX model has its climate control. no problem for me finding it.
here in Australia if you drive interstate, you notice interste drivers use there lights to say thank you. also if a large rig like a B Double or larger wants to pass on a two lane hwy at night, i flash my head lights to indicate to drive when the rig has cleared my car so they know it's safe to move in front of me. also on this trip i just got back on i had a few slow trucks or cars towing vans use there blinker to indicate to me it's clear to overtake them. i used the hazards lights to thank them.
City boys here use there finger if they can't find the hazard button
cheers

[snowcherry]

here in Australia if you drive interstate, you notice interste drivers use there lights to say thank you. also if a large rig like a B Double or larger wants to pass on a two lane hwy at night, i flash my head lights to indicate to drive when the rig has cleared my car so they know it's safe to move in front of me. also on this trip i just got back on i had a few slow trucks or cars towing vans use there blinker to indicate to me it's clear to overtake them. i used the hazards lights to thank them.

i'm slightly stumped to be honest. as a central queensland driver i can only agree with half of this 
definantly the blinker is used, this is to indicate the way is clear for vehicles behind to safely overtake (which i think many city people have no clue about).
flashing the headlights could be a thankyou but i very rarely see it used this way, i see it more often used as a warning for what is ahead. a wave is the often used thank you
i have never seen hazard lights used for anything bar a hazard situation.

[Lakes]

Hi Snowcherry, thats what i was trying to say, you see different ways of doing things state to state. the only flashing lights i saw in QLD was warning might have been a hidden speed camera. some parts of NSW they do it and some parts of VIC i've noticed it.
how did you find the Kiwi's on the road? was you in north or south island?
cheers

[Surferdude]

A raised hand towards the rear view mirror is normal thanks to those behind who've let you in, both in Qld and NSW.
Flashing the lights to warn of radar ahead is viewed as a fineable (?) offence in both those states.
My pet hate is people who use their fog lights when they are driving in clear conditions. It's against the law and damages oncoming drivers' night vision.
However, in Qld it only became law last year and nothing has been done to promote that information. With the increas in cars coming with fog lamps as standard, we have plenty of drivers who don't even know they're on.
It's a simple thing to advise all drivers with a notice in their registration renewal of any rule changes.
In NSW in high fog areas like the F6 you see signs which state that hazard lights may be used on moving cars in fog.

[snowcherry]

how did you find the Kiwi's on the road? was you in north or south island?
cheers

biggest thing i noticed was a severe aversion to indicating. there's a little rabbit run of turns and 'supposed' roundabouts in queenstown but i think maybe 10% of drivers actually used their indicators that i noticed. to be fair i think most of the town were tourists though 

on the open road the drivers were good. i was warned beforehand that a 'rule' (law?) is that you do move over for faster people behind you and i saw this being done quite a few times as well as doing it myself. this is soemthing i wish was ingrained more here outside of grey nomads and their caravans. on the west coast i saw little traffic and no trucks, but the east coast (south island) there's more traffic and trucks about particularly after dusk, but decent flow.


another thing i noticed 'generally speaking in my tourist trap drive' how few brand new cars on the road. and quite a few were rentals. so perhaps just a different mentality altogethor in driving, but i guess we need a kiwi to actually wade in on that.

[Dazzler]

how did you find the Kiwi's on the road?

It wasn't hard... They were everywhere...

[Lorian]

It is of course just one flash of the hazards that means "thanks". more than one means brake hard, and is also often used here on the motorway to mean "caution stationary traffic ahead"

Quite a few new cars in the UK now turn on their hazard warning lights automatically when EBA (emergency brake assist) routine fires in the ECU. I'm not sure if the i30 does this or not, no one has mentioned it, and I've never managed to fire EBA so far.

[bumpkin]

Interesting thread guys.........................

For the record, it used to be illegal in the UK to use the hazard signals for anything other than the vehicle being stopped, however in order to warn trafffic coming behind you that there is an emergency situation ahead has become common practice and the ECILOP's would now seem to turn a blind eye.

I tend to use the truck drivers "code" of thanks which consists of one blink left and one blink right after completion of the move.

[accim]

Hm, I use it quite often..at least once or twice a week. Usually for emergency stops or something like that. Last day we were driving on the highway at speed around 140 km/h and all of the sudden the traffic started stopping and stopped. The road was being repaired and it suddenly became crowded..we all turned the hazard lights so we wouldn't get smacked from behind   We also must use our hazard lights in cases like that. It's also obligated to use them when reversing.. People over here usually drive quite fast and aren't even that careful when driving..mostly they talk on the phone, put their makeup on and stuff like that..so the blinkers warn them at least a bit, to be careful..

So..the thing I noticed the first day I picked up my i30 was how great the hazard light button is positioned in cheaper equipment (at least something, a?)




Anyway..I'm sure you'll get used to it soon..

[diablo]

Quite a few new cars in the UK now turn on their hazard warning lights automatically when EBA (emergency brake assist) routine fires in the ECU.

Never heard of EBA.

Any more info would be appreciated.

EBA is mentioned on the Hyundai website for the i30, though it stands for Electronic Brake Assist. Not sure what it is.

Think I've had hazard warning light switches in various cars over the last 30 years but never used them yet.