Night signaling flares: which statement is true?

• A. Only green flares are used for night signaling.
• B. Parachute flare and smoke flare are equally used at night.
• C. White flare is the standard distress signal.
• D. Hand-held red flare and parachute flare are the distress signaling flares used at night.

Answer: (D)

Night distress signaling uses red signals because red is the most recognizable color at sea for indicating danger. The two main devices used for distress at night are the hand-held red flare, which a person can fire to draw attention from nearby, and the parachute red flare, which rises into the sky and provides a bright, long-lasting beacon visible from a greater distance. Smoke flares are designed for daytime use where the colored smoke is easy to see, and white flares are typically for illumination or signaling location rather than distress. So, the best choice is that the distress signaling flares used at night are the hand-held red flare and the parachute flare.