Why is it important to flash your brake lights when slowing down?

Flashing your brake lights when slowing down serves as a crucial warning signal to the driver behind you. Sudden or significant deceleration can catch a driver off guard, especially if they are not maintaining a safe following distance. By flashing your brake lights, you provide a visual indication that your speed is decreasing, allowing the driver behind to react appropriately and avoid a potential rear-end collision. This practice enhances road safety by improving communication among drivers, especially in situations where visibility may be limited or where drivers may not anticipate a sudden stop.

The other choices do not accurately reflect the primary function of flashing brake lights. Checking if your brake lights are working is not a function of flashing them to warn others; rather, it is a preventive measure that should be done regularly, not typically while you are on the road. Signaling a lane change is done using turn signals, while alerting pedestrians generally involves different forms of communication or vehicle positioning. Therefore, the key purpose of flashing your brake lights is to inform and warn the drivers behind you of your actions.