How to Use Your Vehicle’s Lights to Signal for Help?

Preparing for Distress Signaling

Before attempting to signal for help, ensure your vehicle is positioned safely on a visible section of the road or a designated pull-out area. This will increase your visibility to passing vehicles and minimize the risk of collisions. Turn off your engine and engage the parking brake to conserve energy and prevent unintended movement.

Using Hazard Lights and Flashing Headlights

Turn on your hazard lights to alert approaching vehicles to your presence. If you have a vehicle with a manual hazard light switch, use the following sequence to signal distress: tap the hazard light switch once, pause for one second, and then tap it again. Repeat this sequence to maintain a consistent signal. If your vehicle has automatic hazard lights, engage them and then tap the turn signal stalk to flash your low-beam headlights in a Morse code distress signal. To do this, tap the turn signal stalk three times to signal the letter “S” and then tap it five times to signal the letter “O”. This sequence, “SOS”, is a widely recognized distress signal that can be understood by people worldwide.

Signaling in Low-Visibility Conditions

In low-visibility conditions, such as heavy snow or fog, use your low-beam headlights to create a beam of light that points towards oncoming traffic. Move your vehicle to a position where your low-beam headlights are directed towards the road ahead, rather than into the fog or snow. This will create a beam of light that can be seen by approaching vehicles, even in low-visibility conditions.