What is the main purpose of using emergency flashers while stopped on the roadway?

The main purpose of using emergency flashers while stopped on the roadway is to alert other drivers of your presence. This is crucial for safety, especially in situations where a vehicle is stopped in a location where it may not be immediately visible to oncoming traffic, such as on the shoulder of the road or during a roadside emergency.

By activating the emergency flashers, a driver communicates that their vehicle is stationary and may pose a hazard to other road users, prompting them to exercise caution. This action helps prevent potential accidents by making it clear to approaching vehicles that there is a need for careful navigation around the stopped vehicle.

While signaling pedestrians and indicating mechanical failure are relevant circumstances in which emergency flashers may be used, the primary and critical function of these flashers in the context of a stopped vehicle is to ensure that other drivers are aware of the vehicle's presence on the road.