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| AVOID Driving in water this DEEP Photo by Wade Austin Ellis on Unsplash |
Flooding can happen any time thanks to the rain, blocked drains or burst water mains. Surface water depth from these can be hard to predict and be very deep. Manhole covers can get lifted and moved or a sinkhole opened up in the street that you can’t see. It’s best to avoid driving through water, especially if you’re not sure how deep it will be.
The safest thing to do is go around puddles when you can and NEVER EVER drive through moving water over 4” inches.
Most experts say not to drive through more than four inches of moving water! Fast-moving water is very powerful – take care or your car could be swept away. Note: 1’ foot of moving water can easily push a car off the road.
Just driving through a few inches of water, better take caution. It’s not that deep, but if you drive through to fast, you risk splashing water into your intake or getting electrical components or wiring wet. Water plays havoc with electronics and wire connectors. In addition to engine electronics, you could have problems with the Anti-lock brakes sensors, failed suspension/steering components or wheel bearings. Problems may not surface until months or years later. On many cars, the engine’s air intake is low down at the front. It only takes about a ¼ cup of water to be sucked into your engine to wreck it, and if the engine sucks in water (known as “hydro lock) …you may be saying good-bye to the engine.
Secondly, make sure your tailpipe/exhaust doesn’t get submerged. If you drive with your tailpipe/exhaust underwater and back off acceleration enough, you will suck up water into your exhaust system. Your engine can stall and you will need to call for help.
Thirdly, driving too fast into a shallow puddle can lead to hydroplaning especially if your tire tread is worn down to low. The front tires are lifted and no-longer make contact with the road. You will lose steering control. To help avoid hydroplaning, slow down. Go over puddles in a straight line. Steer lightly (avoid doing too much steering adjustment) and very light braking if any until the puddle is crossed. If you need to use the brake a lot to slow down, you entered the water with too much speed.
“You should never drive through the water above the vehicle’s rocker panels if at all possible”.
If you encounter flooded roads on your journey, it's important to approach them safely. Just remember, if you can find a solution that doesn't involve driving through floodwater, you minimize the risk to both you and your car. It's almost always worth turning around and finding a different route as a better option than stalling trying to drive through it. You'll regret ruining your car just to save a few minutes of time. Modern vehicles’ door seals are generally water-tight (unless old and cracked or worn) and keep water out, but this can make a car buoyant, so they can start to float when driven through water that's only 11” inches deep leaving you stranded. Based on your vehicle’s height, you can better determine the odds you can safely go through a large body of standing water on a road.
What to Do When You Can't Avoid It
If you decide to go through, predetermined your route. Enter the water slowly (about 1-2mph), before accelerating to about 3-4mph to create a bow wave and keep water out of the engine. Just make sure you always control your speed.
If you are driving an automatic: you will need to use the brake at times to control your speed since even at idle speed, you could easily go too fast.
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