By law, every car is required to carry an early warning device (EWD) at all times. While every motorist knows (or at least should know) that these devices are used in emergency situations, we’re never actually taught how to set them up properly.
Search online and there’s a myriad of suggestions on how to go about it. The Land Transportation Office’s memorandum, for example, suggests putting one triangle in front and one behind the vehicle.
What we’ve outlined here is one method you can employ in case an emergency rises, based on a setup with two triangles. Let’s get started:
1) Find a safe spot to pull over.
Make sure you’re not blocking the traffic behind you. When you do pull over, turn on your hazard lights. Yes, this is when you should turn on your hazard lights, not when you’re driving through heavy rain.
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2) Set up the red triangle.
The LTO recommends putting it at least four meters away from your vehicle. In this photo, we placed it at six meters. If you’re pulled over on the highway, you’ll likely have to place it even further away since the other cars will be traveling at a faster speed.
3) Set up the yellow triangle.
The purpose of this second triangle is to warn other motorists from a distance that there is a hazard up ahead. Set this one up around six meters away from the red triangle. Again, if you’re on a highway, you’ll need to place it even further than that.
Remember, use your common sense and be mindful of your surroundings when setting up your EWD. Drive safely!
