As some here may have read, I bought my Wife a new car last week. When I cleaned out her 15 years old Buick, I went through the tool box in the trunk and found a half dozen or so emergency road flares. The maker is Olin and they were given to me by my Uncle who was a Police Officer back in the early 1970's. That would make the flares at least 52 years old! They have been in our vehicles for that period of time, but always in a dry toolbox. They show no real signs of aging other than a few tiny bits of white salt like debris on them (probably the materials breaking down). I am wondering the following:

Are they still good? (yes, I know can just test one).

Do they become dangerous to carry in a trunk with age?

Are they even worth the effort of carrying them since I can get electronic ones or reflector type triangles.

Where to safely dispose of them. I will ask a local LEO Fireman.

I guess I truly know what to do (buy modern electronic or reflector triangles) and if the opportunity comes and I have a safe place to test one I'd be curious to know if they still work. Anyone else ponder this? Anyone here test really old ones like these? If I do test them, I will let you guys know the results.

Here, hold my beer.....

I always hated red phosphorus flares... I couldn't be within 100 yards of a burning flare without getting all stuffed up. I've seen them roll off roadways and start fires. If they get run over, they'll often be extinguished, or careen off to somewhere you don't want an open flame.

I've seen 10-15 year old flares work fine, but I'd just see if you're local fire department will take them.

Unless you need to distract a T-Rex I'd ditch 'em.
I did enough night time road work with my sphincter clenched as drivers attracted to even a reflective vest like moths to a flame kept coming far to close for comfort.
I do need to research better options than the orange triangles I have that aren't much better than bicycle reflectors.

I spent 26+ years working the road & burned through at least a railroad car of flares/fuses. Yes flares do go bad and while they MAY still light they can sputter out when they get old. They are hygroscopic and they draw and absorb moisture and degrade to the point that they get mushy. In daylight they have limited utility and there is the ever present risk of igniting an unintended fire. In my opinion a better solution is a set (minimum of 3) of the electronic LED type flat emergency lights for dark/low light situations and then a set of collapsible orange/yellow cones (minimum of 3) for daylight situations.
I carry 2-3 paks of the Marcala LED "flares" because crashes or breakdowns don't always occur on straight flat, long line of sight locations. I replaced the included batteries with Energizer Ultimate LITHIUM "AA" batteries for their longer storage life. I still check the lights and batteries once a year for condition.

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I have heard flares referred to as North Woods Matches very many times!-

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Add some "scoutmaster' fuel and they make good firestarters...

At the NV hunting awareness course I attended 20 years ago the lecturer said that road flares were guaranteed fire starters and that we should carry them when out in the boonies.

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Release the Kraken

Flares is what my daddy said growed in the winder sill.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I’ve got a half dozen or so left from a bunch I bought in about 1966 to go with my 1958 Ford pickup.

Since then, I’ve transferred them to each new car. I’ve used a few over the years and they all worked.

I’ve have no reason to think they won’t work.

I do agree that they are a more dangerous than road hazard triangles that reflect oncoming head lights, but they are also a whole lot more visible - especially at night.

I do not like anything that relies on batteries to operate because they are a constant maintenance project and headache.

I am betting that the 50+ year old ones I have will still work and I will test them when I get a chance. Be that as it may, I just ordered two brand new Orion Flare kits #6030 which both contain six 30 minute flares each and orange vests all neatly packed into a little canvas case. At least this way they are new and should last me for the long haul. Certainly cheap enough at $23 per kit.

I just need to find a safe place to light up the old ones - just out of curiosity.

I think given proper dry storage they will still work. As others noted moisture is not their friend. Be careful lighting them with the sparking cap. Wear gloves. They can give you a nasty burn. Ask me how I know !

My Dad and Granddad were railroaders. We always had an ample supply of flares or fusees for fire starters. For that they are great. I remember one night in the 60's in a very cold campground I was so cold I could not sleep. My dad a Korean war veteran was not bothered. I however got up gathered the wood struck a flare and got a roaring fire going. Within minutes most of the camp area was gathered around the fire warming. I think my dad slept through it all

My brother, while camping once, did a search of the car for matches or a lighter and came up empty. That led to the lighting of the Coleman stove with a road flare. Hey, a guy's gotta eat.

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The best I can with what I got

Soak in water for a few days, then throw out

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

If unwanted, just cut them open and pour the contents on your garden or grass. Great fertilizer, spread it out though so it doesnt burn the plants.

As long as they are kept in a dry location, they can last and work well for a LONG time. I have flares from back when I was a state cop - 1980's. They still work fine. Basically, oversized matches.

I like them. Yea, modern LED "flares" are safer, more politically correct. But, a road flare is supposed to attract drivers' attention to the road side situation, and direct traffic from it. There is an art to flare patterns. Many if not most drivers have never seen an old-fashioned road flare pattern in use. It gets their attention, which is what you want. Like any burning item, use common sense. I remember a trooper I was with at an accident scene kicking flares to the side of the road as we were getting ready to leave. Somehow, when he kicked one, it bounced up, and went hot end first into his low cut boot. It actually burned a hole in the side of his foot. I can't imagine the pain. I had to drive him to the ER, leaving his cruiser on the side of the road.

Larry

I think some people overthink things. Light them off. Either they work or they don't. Buy new ones; they're cheap.

As sort of a derail to the OP's post. Besides the type of warning device used, the pattern that is laid out is incredibly important. Advanced warning of the hazard and then GRADUAL channeling of traffic where you need it to go or away from the hazard are equally important. If there is a curve or hill crest behind the hazard then the warnings need to be extended.
I arrived on the scene of a traffic crash one night, around the local Air Force Base, with one lane blocked by the crash and traffic feeling their way around the crash scene totally confused. I arrived on scene to find flares/fuses everywhere, with no apparent pattern. It looked like an SP had taken a handful of flares, lit them all and then thrown them like a grenade. Traffic was a total mess around the scene until I was able to reset the flares into an effective channelization.

I bought a new Ford F100 back around 1973. It came with a box of 3 reflectors, kept the box, got rid of the truck during the later gas crisis. Gotta go find it.

The safety triangles (have them in the big truck) can blow over in high winds. The reflectors or electronic gadgets are a great thing to have on board-if you keep the batteries charged/changed. Flares/fusees are a must if you're in sparsely populated areas or severe weather. As noted they really are more noticeable and you can use them to start fires. Even under really nasty conditions. Gotta be a tupperware or similar air tight container they'll fit in.

We used "em" and railroad flares to dig up yelloe jacket nest. Light it and lstuff it in their entrance hole. Throw a scoop of dirt on top. The fumes would knock the jackets out. We'd dig "em" brush off the jackets and put nest in a paper sack. At home we'd put the sack in the freezer for a short time to stun any jackets we missed. Then we'd take the nest out and remove any jasckets we missed. Yellow jacket larve makes great bream bait.

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S&W Accumulator

Have 3 in every vehicle. Great for starting fires when the wood is wet.

Any tips for the many drivers?
I've seen some crazy numbers including double the speed limit for the spacing of each in feet.
If I only had three on a straight road I'd do 20 ft. - 100 ft. - 100 yards.

Every year at the Lake on the 4th of July the lake is lined with flares. Its an awesome sight.

A fellow Jail Deputy back in the early 70's was a reloader experimenter extrodinaire.
He decided for some reason that Road Flare powder would make a good filler for most of the empty space in his 38special rounds he was reloading. He expwected some dazzleing fireworks.
So with those in hand along with his brand new S&W Mod 37 3" revolver, he touched off a few at a range fest one morning before our 2-10 afternoon shift.

A sorry site that alloy frame revolver was.,,and a total loss.

We were all Jail Deps and had to supply our own 38cal revolvers.

I'd have to go out to the truck and find the DOT manual to be sure on spacing of warning devices. Having said that, IIRC, you're supposed to start 100 feet back at/near the lane edge and work to the berm in about 50 foot intervals with your 3 devices. Now, that works on straight, level roads. If curves/height changes are in play, you need at least one warning item on the other side. If you have extras you might consider putting at least one out for oncoming traffic.

Too bad there's no motor vehicle equivalent for the railroad torpedos. For those unfamiliar, they're percussion devices used (back in ye days of olde) to warn engineers of problems. When the engine ran over one, it really got the crew's attention. 3 in quick succession was emergency stop. Wonder if they're still used? OK, drivers wouldn't know the signals, but the noise should get their attention.

I don't see a problem it's fun to experiment with stuff like that

Give to a farmer to use to burn brush piles.