Top 6 Tips to Drive Safely Through Floods
Roads can be flooded after heavy rains if the sewerage and drainage system doesn’t have enough capacity and can not cope with the large volume of water.
It is never been advisable to drive on flooded roads, even when you are stuck surprisingly in the middle of a journey. If you unexpectedly encounter flood on the road, turn around wisely, and do not drown.
Sometimes, unpredictable weather conditions can put you in a dangerous situation even before you think of change of course or direction.
Why it’s not wise to drive through the water by Experts from aDriving
When roads and streets are flooded, they can hide debris, dips, big potholes, and roads that were washed away totally.
According to experts from aDriving about 10-12 inches of water is high enough to knock the bottom of most passenger vehicles. It can easily flood the exhaust and leave your vehicle immobile. If you can not walk through the flooded road then don’t attempt to drive through it.
Vehicles can easily start to float in one foot of water. Even the tyres with deepest tread depth will not help to keep the grip of the vehicle. This may result in extreme danger as you will lose control of the vehicle.
Extra care should be taken when driving in the heavy rain or in wet weather conditions. Braking distance gets double on a wet road which can increase the risk of fatal road accidents if brake sharply and aggressively at the last minute.
If you do get stuck in a situation where you have got no alternatives but drive through the water then here are few expert tips that can help.
Driving through the water should always be avoided. If you must drive on a wet road follow best practices below. Here are top 6 tips to drive safely through floods and standing water as safe as possible
1. Drive through the safest part
Don’t follow any lane discipline or drive on your side of the road. Drive through the safest part of the road usually more towards the middle of the road as water tends to be shallower in the center of the road because of the camber of the road. Camber is designed to help drainage.
2. Take Turns
Consider other vehicles and drive through flooded part one vehicle at a time. Follow a single lane is safer than going through and splash water on passing vehicles. A vehicle ahead may move water out of the way and can help you drive through safely.
3. Drive through when the water is low
You can lose control of the vehicle if you drive through 15cm to 20cm of water at high speed. Don’t attempt to drive through the water which is above the center of your tyres.
4. Drive at low Speed
Do not drive fast on flooded roads. If you have to cross the water on the road, enter no more than 1-2mph in 1st gear and maximum 3-4mph to avoid flooding the engine.
6. Dry your brakes
Once you get through the flooded part, don’t forget to dry your vehicle brakes. You can dry after moving through the water by lightly braking while driving very slowly.
Moving Floods
Never attempt to drive through moving flood even if your vehicle is large enough for cross-flow. Many motorists have been in disaster situations afterthought they can drive through water that was clearly in motion.
About 2 feet of a moving flood can easily sweep away any kind of vehicle even light goods vehicles (LGV).
What to do if vehicle float – Advice by Driving Instructors in Luton
Well, at the start of this article, we did advise try not to cross through a flooded road. Anyway, if your vehicle loses grip on the road and starts to float, try not to start the engine as it will not help in such a situation.
Open the door and let water get into a vehicle, water weight inside the vehicle may help to keep the vehicle grip. If you have any passenger(s) in the vehicle, ask them to open their door(s) too.
If it still does not help then it’s time to leave the vehicle quickly and safely and head toward the highest point. Speak to a team of driving instructors if you have any questions.
