Why You See Some Matatus With Hazard Signals Always On

As all trained motorists driving on Kenyan highways know, hazards should only be used to alert other drivers to an emergency on the road.
Other proper uses include warning about reduced visibility during poor weather conditions, breakdowns, or when a vehicle is being towed, alongside warning other drivers of sudden danger ahead.
In Kenya, however, matatus have adopted the habit of using hazard indicators even in normal traffic flow, creating confusion amongst other motorists.
On Kenyan highways, especially those with multiple lanes, it is common to see matatus with their hazard warning lights always switched on. This confusing behaviour has left many road users questioning its legality and the reason behind it.
Speaking to Onesmus Njuguna, a matatu driver plying the Thika Road-CBD route,Kenyans.co.kelearnt that the use of the hazards by matatus is awarning of their likely abrupt change of lanes.
Onesmus noted that decisions are sometimes made hastily by matatu drivers and conductors, who direct when to stop and pick up passengers and when to speed up.
He explained that the constant use of hazard warning lights is intended to alert other motorists that the matatu in front of or behind them on the highway may change lanes suddenly at any time, and thus warn them to be alert.
However, this practice is not supported by the laws governing the use of roads and highways, as changing lanes in this way is dangerous and risks road safety.
“When driving a matatu, decisions are made very abruptly and by two people. Not like a personal car where a decision is made by one person. So for us, keeping the hazards on is to just alert other drivers that a decision may be made soon and one has to be alert,” Onesmus said.
As for whether police were aware of the practice and whether it was legal, Onesmus disclosed that the authorities knew and understood the logic. This is despite the fact that Kenyan laws generally do not allow the use of hazards outside the designated functions.
Under Cap 374G — Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations, there is a clause that states:“No person shall show a hazard warning light, of the type prescribed on a vehicle on a road unless such vehicle is likely to be a hazard to other persons using the road.”
Even so, the driver argued that the intention behind the constant use of hazardsshould warrant an exception to the rule.
“When you are on the road and you are not sure of what is going to happen ahead of you, it is good to put the hazards on. It alerts those who are behind you that you can stop at any time, so they keep a distance,” opined Onesmus.
The hazards normally complement the work of the ‘left’ and ‘right’ indicators, which normally signal where a driver intends to change direction to.
One might argue that the use of hazards by matatu drivers is linked to the chaotic nature of how the vehicles are usually driven, where there is little room to act in the conventional way when changing lanes.
Also, the use ofhazard indicators may be tied to how drivers or conductorsusually use their hands to indicate when changing lanes. According to them, the hazards serve the same purpose, providing a more civilised way to change lanes abruptly.
Onesmus added that despite the otherwise hidden danger with the use of the hazard indicator, matatu drivers utilised it with good intentions, with road safety the main priority.