Flashing Hazards

Unique to Japan, flashing hazard lights are the peace-keepers on Tokyo streets, nullifying road rage...

Are you a flasher? Do you use hazard lights? If so, what for and how often?

Do you switch on your hazards and pull over when you need to stop quickly to answer that urgent mobile phone call? When someone lets you in ahead of them, do you flash your hazards twice to thank them? Conversely, if someone barges in front of your car forcing you to slam on the brakes, do you show your dissatisfaction by quickly overtaking them and flashing a quick "thanks buddy" with your hazards while agriculturally waving an extended middle finger out the window?

In Japan, extended middle fingers flapping in the breeze are unheard of. Road rage here is negligible. In 26 years of driving on Tokyo's streets, I have seen road rage maybe half a dozen times, if that. Motorists in Japan's capital city keep their emotions hidden surprisingly well. And it's all thanks to flashing hazards, bowing heads and a level of tolerance rare in the Western world. Flashing hazards, in a default kind of way, are like the peace-keepers of motoring in this country.

Anyone who has driven on Japan's roads might have been perplexed by the extent of hazard flashing. Combined with bowing behind the wheel or the signature acknowledgement in-car hand wave, kind of like a short version of Queen Elizabeth's wave, these forms of thanks are as common as sushi bars in downtown Tokyo. Japanese are experts at these reflex actions. Most drivers will be able to extend their left hand to hit the hazard switch for a second or two without even taking their eyes off the road. It's as common as flicking your indicator stalk.

In fact, in Japan, if someone does barge in front of you in what seems like an aggressive move, and then flashes their hazard lights, well, they've effectively said their "excuse me, thanks for letting me in," and road harmony has been maintained. Any irritation or potential road rage that may have temporarily bubbled to the surface is quickly dissipated.

Hazards and headlights have unique meanings in Japan, even at night. When you want to pull across an oncoming lane on a busy road, many Japanese will stop their car and momentarily switch off their headlights as a sign of giving way and letting you cross in front of them. Once you have crossed the road, you either flash your hazards or wave at the other motorist to say thanks.

Such behaviour is what keeps the pressure cooker on this highly-strung society from exploding. I have experienced this kind of driving behaviour numerous times; a driver in a hurry will dart across in front me, crossing two lanes and forcing me to jump on the brakes. And just when you feel the irritation swelling up inside and the desire to honk the horn, he will flash his hazards and wave his hand in submission causing you to just let it go and get on with driving. When I first started using this driving technique 26 years ago, I found it quite refreshing. It was like taking a deep-breath and then letting go.

This form of 'thank you' is all-pervasive in Japan. They bow to mid-air when thanking a colleague or friend on the phone. The funny thing is that the guy on the other end of the phone knows that he is being bowed to. That's what being Japanese means. You just come to know these unseen customs.

At department stores, on planes, even at gas stations. After they've filled your tank, gas station attendants will walk out to the road and stop traffic, allowing you to leave their premises. And then they remove their caps and continue to bow at you even after you've merged into traffic.

In this hierarchical society, hazard flashing and bowing are very Japanese ways of maintaining the peace on some of the most congested and stressful city streets on the planet. People can push in or dive across two lanes in front of you, but as long as they flash their hazards, then all is forgiven. Hazards are indeed the peace-keepers of Japan's streets. Hmmm, might this be a custom we could import? I wonder if we flashed our hazards in the same way as the Japanese do, would the level of road rage decline?

Flashing Hazards

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