Why not put hazard switch on passenger side mirror?

[eli_lilly]

Everyone take a quick note of where the hazards switch is the next time you get in your 4r. That way, if you're going down the highway and see a box van in the opposite lane flip over on its side and start heading to oncoming traffic, you'll have a better idea than I did of where to fumble for the switch without taking your eyes off the road. The switch is WAAAAAY over there, I think I almost punched a hole through the passenger airbag indicator thinking it was the hazard switch and trying to get it to turn on.

I put my truck in front of the cab, so they wouldn't get hit head-on.

-E

 

[Sungod]

I had a similar experience the first time I had to use it. I had been driving mine for 4 years before I actually needed to use in and totally agee that they could have done a better job of putting it in a spot you might see in front of you. Glad you got to use it and weren't a few seconds ahead and weren't part of the accident. Looks pretty bad.

 

[eli_lilly]

The guys in the truck were very lucky, they weren't hurt very bad, the passenger side guy just had his arm cut all to heck but he'll be fine I am sure. All of that damage on the truck is just from it falling over at the center of the median and sliding across the grass. They were lucky that the truck stopped where it did and that they didn't get hit head on. This was on I-75 between Ft Lauderdale FL and Naples FL. Every time I think that I've seen the craziest thing while driving...

-E

 

[TechWrench]

I believe, on most newer vehicles, the 4-way/hazzard light switch is purposely put in the center console or center dash area so that, if needed, the passenger can activate them if the driver isn't able to. If they put it on the drivers side door, that wouldn't be possible.

 

[Chad T]

Seriously? It is one of the biggest hazard buttons I've seen on any vehicle and is clearly visible on the dash. I think I noticed it the first time I got in and test drove my 4Runner.

 

[boondoggle]

How'd that thing flip over (it rolled I take it?)? Crosswinds?

 

[eli_lilly]

Seriously? It is one of the biggest hazard buttons I've seen on any vehicle and is clearly visible on the dash. I think I noticed it the first time I got in and test drove my 4Runner.

On my 03 it's so far to the right it's closer to the passenger side than the driver. It's the farthest-right control. It should instead have been put where the passenger airbag indicator is (same size cutout) and the passenger airbag indicator can go where the hazard switch is - near the passenger.

On my Yaris it's exactly in the center of the dash, midway between driver and passenger.

-E

 

[eli_lilly]

How'd that thing flip over (it rolled I take it?)? Crosswinds?

He said he had a blowout, I couldn't tell one way or the other. What I saw was the truck leave the road a little, then swerve back, then leave the road fully. I thought he was going to recover, cause his angle wasn't too bad initially. However, his angle got bad pretty quick, maybe because he was going at a pretty good clip when it all started, probably around 70. When he got to the center of the median/swale (took maybe 2 seconds), the truck fell over on its side and slid from the median over to my lanes. For a while I was thinking 'it all happened in slow motion' then I realized, no, the whole thing took like 4-5 seconds.

-E