Best Roadside Safety Discs – Buyer’s Guide

Whether it’s getting a flat tire or a stalled engine, emergency situations can happen at any time when you’re driving.

Drivers should have the necessary tools to help them when unexpected events occur on the road. The last thing you want is to be stuck on a busy highway with no equipment to alert the passing vehicle of your presence on the road.

LED flares are made to be used repeatedly, which means that they aren’t disposable. The patterns make it easy for anyone nearby to see you, lowering the chances of having a collision when stuck on the road in poor weather conditions.

Reviewed below are eight of the best roadside safety discs currently being sold, with each having unique benefits and advantages. After that, head over to the Buyer’s Guide for additional tips and shopping guidelines.

TOP 10 Roadside Safety Discs in 2024

1. HOKENA LED Road Flares Emergency Lights – (Editor’s Choice)

The Hokena LED Road Flares are sold in a pack of three and look the same as any other flasher but have lots of features.

For starters, the lights have nine presets, and the last one used is remembered. That means you won’t have to spend time switching through the patterns to get back to the one you used the last time it was activated. Operations range from Alternating blinks to Morse Code, and every preset can respond to any emergency situation on the road.

Accompanying the products is a strong carrying bag included with the product that serves to protect them when stored in your vehicle. The batteries won’t corrode from the heat or cold when put away, along with preventing dust and grime from aging the flare’s body.

The magnets are powerful and will stay attached to your vehicle, whether it is covered with ice or soaking wet.

One annoyance could be how hard it is to gain access to the batteries. You will have to unscrew them when they must be changed. The screwdriver is cheaply made (unlike the rest of the product) and may become stripped if you apply too much force when turning it open.

If you can, consider changing the screw with one that’s much denser and unlikely to strip. You don’t want to run into these problems when you’re in the middle of the road with a broken-down car, so it’s best to check as soon as you unbox the product.

Overall, the Hokena flare set is a great item to add to your vehicle’s emergency kit and will last years after being purchased.

2. Garage Monkey LED Road Safety Flare – Long Battery Life

The Garage Monkey comes in a pack of four and will use every drop of the battery’s juice before running out.

Battery life is key here and will give you about ten hours of power. This is very important, particularly if you’re stranded in a location where assistance or AAA won’t come quickly.

If you leave them in the case for a long time, batteries won’t become damaged. A year could pass and they would remain functional as if they were acquired on the present day, hypothetically speaking.

There are six presets which include the easily recognizable S-O-S signal, so you will be able to get help quickly if a situation calls for it.

Just look at the instruction manual when you are ready to open it. It is a little confusing when attempting to open it without the instruction manual. You could end up breaking the flares to reach the batteries if you’re not careful.

Furthermore, spare batteries aren’t included in the set either, which means that you’ll have to get a pack separately from the product. While not a big issue, it would have been nice to see some included.

Still, the Garage Monkey is suggested for any motorist that hates changing batteries too often.

3. 1TAC LED Road Flare Discs with Zip Pouch

With a single click, you can easily switch these LED flares in response to road emergencies or any other purpose as the need may arise. There are three flares in the pack with 15 LEDs for each beacon.

These LED flares have magnets installed within them. Therefore, you can stick them on any metal surface of your car, or boat. Moreover, they will remain attached on the surface regardless of your acceleration speed.

1 TAC LED road flares shine super bright to the extent that one can spot them one mile away. This can be attributed to 15 LED emitters per disc, which emit steady light for a long period without dimming.

Besides, these LED flares operate on 9 modes of light. This implies that you have up to 9 options to choose from depending on the need at hand.

1 TAC LED road flares are made of water-resistant materials that keep them unaffected when they come into contact with water. Furthermore, they work well in all weather conditions – both dry and wet.

4. MARCALA LED Road Flares 6-Pack – DOT Compliant LED Safety Flares Kit

Marcala LED road flare is a safety kit containing six items that enhance your safety on the roads. Moreover, the LED road flares are DOT compliant which implies you do not have to worry about their functionality as they have top quality assurance.

The kit comes with extra batteries, seatbelt cutter, whistle, LED flares, carrying case, and a multi-tool.

Marcala LED road flares are designed in such a way that they are water-resistant. Therefore, if you come into contact with water – rain or pools of water – you need not worry whether they’ll work afterward or not.

Also, these road flares are made of sturdy materials that make them strong and durable. As a result, they can sustain a pressure of up to 1000 lbs without possible surface fracturing. And, even after running over them, they’ll still work well.

When you place these road flares on the body of your car, they’ll remain attached even when the car is in motion. This is attributed to Neodymium magnets that keep the LED flares steady regardless of your acceleration speed.

These LED road flares come with batteries already installed. Consequently, this will save you the time of having to look for new batteries, supposed they were not pre-installed by the manufacturer.

5. Heliar LED Road Flares (Emergency Disc) – Great Build Quality

The Heliar LED Road Flares is rugged and strong, sold in pack of three. It’s dense outer shell can be run over, tossed in the air, and submerged in water without breaking.

Flashes are very bright. Motorists will see you from afar, no matter if you’re stuck in the rain or snow. Daylight visibility is also nice. Overcast or partially sunny skies won’t block its reflective capabilities, so use them any time of the day or night.

The product has nine different modes of operation. The blinking mode can reduce power consumption, but the brightness will not decrease. When the batteries start losing their power, the lights also go out.

Like many other LED flashes, it is again difficult to replace batteries in this product. Learn how to do this before you place them in your trunk, and the annoyance of not knowing how to access them should not become a nuisance.

Take Heliar Road Flares with you no matter where you take, either on a boat or camping in an RV: they won’t break even if you don’t store them in the carrying case.

6. Wagan EL2639-3 Roadside Emergency Disk – Great For Poor Weather Conditions

Last on the list is the Wagan EL2639-3, a durable and long-lasting three-pack flair set that operates with only three AAA batteries.

Out of the five products shown thus far, this one has the most number of presets. There are ten in total, of which have great luminosity when you’re stuck in snowy or rainy weather.

The double-blink and pulse settings are great to use when the weather is bad, and your vehicle’s visibility range will increase further than what a car’s standard hazardous lights can offer. Even in inclement weather that’s drier, such as sandstorms, the flares will remain visible at an acceptable distance.

The magnets could be stronger though. They will stick to our vehicle but could fall off at the slightest brush. And if you’re car’s covered in water, ice, or dirt, it may come off on its own. Additionally, the batteries may go bad if you leave them in for too long.

It’s recommended that you change them out every six months, even if you haven’t used the flares in that period. Nevertheless, the Wagan EL2639-3 would be well served for people that experience extreme weather conditions with the passing seasons.

7. SlimK LED Road Safety Flare

This is a pack of three LED road flares designed for on-time road emergency response. It’s a handy safety tool that every motorcyclist, bicyclist, or car user needs to have in their arsenal.

This is an electric road flare that relies on AAA alkaline batteries to power. The package includes 9 AAA batteries that are powerful and have 36 hours of run time. This enables the LED flares to emit a super bright light that can be seen from far. During the night, the LED flare is visible half a mile away and a mile during the night.

Usability

This LED flare is easy to operate even for first-timers. If you’re the least worried, it comes with a user manual that’s easy to follow. Through a single button, you can access all the 9 flashing modes hassle-free.

The 9 flashing modes include: SOS rescue, alternate blinks, single blink, quad flashes, rotate, steady on high, 2 LED, 4 LED and top LED flashlights. From this, you can always pull out an appropriate lighting mode depending on the type of emergency.

Plus, if you want to switch the LED flares off, you only need to long-press the button for 3 seconds. The button is easily accessible and enhances ease of operation so that you respond to emergencies on the fly.

Besides, SimK LED flare is versatile and designed for other uses than emergencies. Thus, you can use it during fishing, camping, riding, climbing, and short time lighting. Plus, you can tie it around your dog’s neck during search and rescue sessions.

Design and Construction Materials

This safety disc is made from a high hardness ABS plastic polymer. This makes it sturdy, crush-resistant, and durable. Therefore, even if you run over it, the LED flare disc won’t crush.

Moreover, the SlimK LED flare is waterproof. This means that even if it comes into contact with water, it’ll still operate normally. Whenever you’re having a roadside emergency during a downpour, this safety disc will not let you down.

Also, it is lightweight, small-sized, and convenient to carry around. It comes with a storage bag, a free pair of gloves, and has a magnetic base. This enables you to strategically stick the LED flare on your vehicle where it can be seen clearly.

8. Gear Gurus LED Road Flares Kit – Ready to Use KIT with batteries

Gear Gurus LED road safety disc is a ready to use and complete road safety kit. The package includes 3 pieces of LED flares, a screwdriver, and a pack of alkaline batteries. Other items include a pair of gloves and a storage bag.

This safety disc runs on 3 AAA alkaline batteries with up to 36 hours of battery life. This helps in keeping the LED lighting active for long while increasing your chances of protection during emergencies.

The best part is that the batteries are included in the package. This in turn saves you the time and money required to look for others elsewhere. Therefore, once you have bought the LED flares, you can use them right away.

Usability

This safety disc is simple to operate and powers on in a short time. To put it on or off, you only got to long-press the power button for about three seconds. Moreover, you can get up to 6 flashing modes all through the power button.

Because of the different flashing modes, you can use the safety disc for multiple other purposes other than emergency responses. The lights are bright shining and suffice for a flashlight. Other uses include recreational activities such as camping and hiking.

Since the flares emit a super bright light, one can see them from one mile away in the dark. During the day, the range narrows down to half a mile. Nonetheless, the brightness is enough to warn oncoming drivers to keep off as they approach you.

Design and Construction Materials

Moreover, the Gear Gurus safety disc is made of sturdy plastic material. This makes it shatterproof and crushproof and will not be affected when a vehicle runs over it. Admittedly, this flare is durable and will remain useful for a long time.

To top it off, it is IP67 waterproof certified and works perfectly well in water. Besides, it is lightweight and will float on the water. This makes it a handy safety kit for any water activity. In case there’s an emergency, you can drop it in the water to send distress calls.

But that’s not all. You can use this flare in all types of weather—both moderate and extreme. Thus, it’ll work perfectly well in rain, sleet, snow, and hot and cold weather conditions.

It has a hook that you can use to attach it to any surface hassle-free. In addition, you can also strategically stick this flare on to your car or truck’s metal body. This is possible due to its strong magnetic base.

9. Tobfit 6 Pack LED Road Flares Emergency Lights

Tobfit LED flares are made for use in marine boats, bicycles, motorcycles, Jeeps, SUVs, cars, and all types of trucks. The pack of 6 road flares emit a bright red-orange light and best suited for all types of emergency responses.

Usability

This LED roadside safety disc is simple to operate. For new users, the flare comes with a step-by-step user guide. You only need to go through the manual to get things underway whenever there’s an emergency.

Plus, it is easy to power on and off. With the aid of its easily accessible power button, you can do that effortlessly by long-pressing the button. You can also use the power button to change from one flashing mode to another.

The flare is multi-functional and can be used in a variety of settings. One, you can use it during roadside emergencies as a safety LED flare. And two, you can use it for recreational activities like camping and hiking.

Other areas of use include: police road marks, and maritime salvage operations. This is possible thanks to the 9 different flashing modes. These include: top LED flashlight, 2 LED and 4 LED flashlights, steady on low, and steady on high modes.

The other lighting modes are SOS rescue, alternating blinks, single blink, quad flashes and rotate.

Design and Construction Materials

The LED flare is made from a super-strong industrial engineering ABS plastic. Therefore it is sturdy enough to withstand a heavy truck weight of up to 30 tones. Even if you run over this LED flare, it will remain intact since it’s crushproof.

Besides, it is IP67 waterproof rated. This helps keep the inside electronics safe when the LED flare comes into contact with water. Plus, it is lightweight and can float on water. This makes it a handy emergency safety device for use in the waters.

Also, it has a Neodymium magnet on its base. This makes it possible to stick the LED flare on the sides of your car or truck for better visibility. The strategic positioning makes it easy to spot the lighting one mile away during the day and half a mile during the night.

Tobfit LED flares run on AAA alkaline batteries. Therefore, for bright shining light that can be seen from afar, you’ll need 18 AAA batteries. Unfortunately, the package doesn’t include any batteries, thus you’d have to shop for them separately.

10. Stonepoint Emergency LED Roadside Safety Discs

The Stonepoint’s three sets of Emergency LED Road Flares have a major advantage within their presets. They switch quickly and flash at a rate that’s easy for people to see when they drive past. There are only two featured on the flares, of which are a flashing pattern and a speedier strobe.

The carrying case is a plus and will even hold more flares than necessary.

The biggest drawback is that the product doesn’t come with any instructions. If you have never operated LED flares before, this could be an issue.

Regardless, the Stonepoint is great for anyone that cares more about presets on flares than anything else.

Roadside Safety Discs – Buyer’s Guide

LED Road Flares as An Alternative To Pyrotechnic Flares

Overall, LED emergency flares are the safest and most reliable, beating out pyrotechnic and chemical beacons on most categories. In fact, many states forbid the use of anything but LEDs for vehicular use. If you’re not sure, you could contact your state’s transportation department.

They also will last a lot longer than chemical and fire operated brands since their power comes from batteries.

The only drawback is the brightness. It’s difficult to compare to flares that use actual fire. Regardless, LEDs remain equal or brighter than chemical brands, and won’t be useless after the first time of activation. If you need something that isn’t temporary, then you should stick to LED lights over the alternatives.

Batteries, Time and Operating Modes

Like any electronic device, batteries make up the heart of LED flares. Most require AAA, but there are some that take AA or other alternatives.

Before you settle on one of the products shown in the reviews above, take note of how many batteries it requires. Some will need a surprisingly large amount, while others not so much.

Additionally, you should check to see how hard the cover will be to come off. Some brands will necessitate a screwdriver to do this. It’s something that, while not a big issue, could become an annoyance if you’re in a rush to get them inside the device in an emergency (if they aren’t already).

Timing is important as well. Most LED flares have a life that ranges from 6 to 10 hours on a full battery. This time will change depending on which operating mode is being used.

For example, if you use an operating mode that makes the light shine more frequently than one that doesn’t, you can expect a shorter battery life. So setting the flare to flash at a rate that blinks more often than a setting that doesn’t will reduce the length of luminosity. Because of this, you should always make sure that there are plenty of batteries around for the flares to work as expected.

If you run into a situation where you end up using the flares for longer than an hour, it would be best to change them out for a pack that’s new.

Storage Bag

The storage bag for your LED flares shouldn’t be ignored. Even the most high-quality flare could potentially be ruined by a poorly designed carrying case. Most people store their flares in the truck on the vehicle, which means they will have to withstand the weather conditions of the region in which you reside.

If you stay in a location that gets very cold, a low-quality bag won’t protect the electrical components inside of the flares, along with the batteries. And if these become affected, then the flare may not work at all.

Furthermore, look for a flare that features a bag with large size. You could fit more inside if you end up purchasing additional sets to go along with those that came with the previous one.

Durability

Strength is another feature that can ensure that the flare you buy will last a long time. And by strength, a car should be able to run over the device without it breaking into little pieces. Look online and you will find videos of people testing out their flares, many of which will not break when something heavy is placed on top of them. No matter if it’s kicked, rolled, or drenched in water, good flares should hold up. And if it doesn’t look for another product if possible.

And while any flare can be broken if, say, an eighteen-wheeler rolls over it, you shouldn’t worry too much about the occasional car that missed it while driving passed you on the road or highway.

How to Use LED Emergency Flares?

As previously stated, LED flares will typically have several settings that will change the light pattern. These patterns could be used according to the emergency situation.

For instance, maybe your car breaks down and you need light in order to see into the hood or underneath the vehicle. The LED flare should have the option for you to turn on just one side of the circular light. In this way, it could perform as a makeshift flashlight if you don’t already have one.

Or maybe you’ve stopped in the snow and require a pattern that makes the lights easier to see from a further distance away. Snow is often a big part of this. The light pattern could switch from more blinks per-second than the average setting, thus providing better visibility to drivers in snowy or foggy weather.

Alternative Uses

Maybe you live or take leisure time on a sailboat or other vehicle that isn’t road-based. You don’t have to use LED flares for vehicles alone. The possibilities are endless.

Take with your when hunting or fishing, or use them as an emergency indicator if you’re planning a camping trip into the woods. If you become lost, it would be a lot easier for passers-by to see you with an LED light flashing.

Or maybe you’re the creative type that needs something for cars to be able to see you during nighttime bike riding. Just prop one or two of the flares on the wheels of your bicycle and no car will pass you without taking note of the flashing.

Jogging isn’t out of the question either. Attach to a jacked (on your back or front) so that motorists can see you several meters away before they get too close. LED flares are great for preventing emergencies from happening and getting you through them at the same time.

Mounting

Most LED flares will have something included with the product that will help you mount it to a level where the light doesn’t have to rest on the asphalt. This is usually magnets, but may also be hooks or a stand that resembles those you may have seen construction workers using (the red and white poles).

• The magnets will stick to your vehicle’s body, which will help guide a driver’s eyes to the focal point: your vehicle and its inhabitants.

• The hook is better for areas that are difficult for magnets to be placed. Road obstacles, such as steel barriers or the rear of trailers being pulled make good examples.

• Stands can be mounted on the road itself, and assist motorists by alerting them to merge into a lane that’s away from your vehicle.

FAQs

Conclusion

The LED flares shown in the reviews above have one thing in common. They will boost your safety on the road when unexpected situations arise. It is highly recommended that you acquire a set if you don’t have anything similar in your car already. But while each product is exceptional, two definitely stand out from the rest, which is the Hokena and Garage Monkey both have great build quality, long-lasting battery life, and multiple light settings.

Of course, don’t take this as a criticism of the other products featured: they are also great for specific purposes and may work better for you when particular factors are taken into consideration. The details mentioned in the Buyer’s Guide could help you decide if you haven’t read it yet. When you’ve chosen what you want, it’s a given that you will have an LED light that’s sure to be satisfactory for you.