It used to be that every single emergency kit worth its salt contained one, if not two, emergency flares - yes, those funny red tubes that reminded us of dynamite from a kiddy cartoon. But their availability is nothing to laugh about; a recent study has shown that by lighting an emergency flare at the scene of an accident you will have influenced three very important factors, even without the presence of the police:

1. The speed of passing vehicles is reduced on average by 8.4 MPH;
2. More than 79% of vehicles passing will change lanes to avoid the accident scene; and
3. Cars that don’t change lanes, at the very least, moved an additional 36″ beyond the accident scene perimeter.

The data further indicated that the “safety zone” created by the implementation of safety flares was equal to that generated by a police car. The study also suggests that the more flares you use, and the closer you space them together, the more you maximize your safety zone.

While that information is great and all, just the idea of using something that looks like dynamite, and which is inherently dangerous in and of itself, is enough to make a person think twice about using them. In fact, the Department of Transportation classifies them as a “flammable solid” and their use is becoming prohibited because of their incendiary nature. Heck, their primary ingredient is gunpowder.

Keep the “dynamite” out of your car, and consider an electronic flare - one that uses batteries instead - as a “safe” alternative to create “safety” zone.