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Useful Tips and Tricks on How to Handle a Flooded Road

Written by Posted On Wednesday, 06 September 2017 22:57
Useful Tips and Tricks on How to Handle a Flooded Road

Flooding is a natural phenomena where an area or land that is normally dry abruptly becomes submerged in water. In simple terms, flood can be defined as an overflow of large quantities of water onto a normally dry land. It occurs most commonly from heavy rainfall when natural watercourses do not have the capacity to convey excess water. It could also result from blocked drains, overflow of streams, rivers, lakes or oceans.

Severe flooding can result in the tragic loss of life, damage to agriculture, property and infrastructure, and disruption of social and economic activities throughout the basin. Not only that, flood is also a pain for car owners and motorcycle riders as flood could damage their vehicle. And flood-damaged vehicles are very unreliable and it is very difficult to completely fix an engine that has been flooded. That’s right, floodwater can easily pour inside your car and damage it to the point that it’s cheaper to buy a new car than attempt to repair what you drove.

That’s why is it very important for every vehicle owner to know what are the right things to do when faced in a flooded road situation. And the list below might save you.

  1. 1. Re-route your path to avoid flooded roads

If there’s a rule for driving in flooded waters, the first rule is, DON’T. Find another route. That's the only sure way to avoid getting stranded and the best way to avoid floodwater is to make sure you are prepared, whether that’s staying in or finding a safer alternative route to travel. You can watch the weather forecasts before you set out on a journey, if flooding is widespread you might be better off cancelling trips that are not absolutely necessary. If it is not possible, there are different apps over the net that can show you different road conditions and possible alternative routes.

  1. 2. Stay calm and stay slow

If you intend to drive through a flooded section of road for whatever circumstances, drive slowly and steadily through the water. Driving at speed into water can have dramatic effects - it could almost feel like driving into a brick wall with loss of control. That is why it's especially important to watch your speed on roads where there might be unexpected patches of water. Also, driving on a steady, slow speed helps you avoid creating a bow wave (see tip number 3) in front of the vehicle that allows oncoming traffic to pass first thus making sure you have a clear route ahead so you don’t have to stop in standing water.

  1. 3. The bow wave

cars

As discussed above, driving on a steady, constant, slow speed allows you to create the bow wave that can artificially reduce the depth of the water that might intrude your engine. This assists with keeping water out of your engine bay. Following the bow wave also means your vehicle does not have to work as hard to maintain momentum and traction.

  1. 4. Don’t be hard on your brakes

If you have driven through water up to the wheel rims or higher, test your brakes on a clear part of the road at low speed. If they are wet and not stopping the vehicle as they should, dry them by pressing gently on the brake pedal with your left foot while maintaining speed with your right foot.

  1. 5. Check your radiator

Your radiator is extremely important to your car and in maintaining your engine's health and performance. Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one part to another for the purpose of cooling and heating your vehicle. Flood could damage your vehicle’s radiator. So you must check the vehicle’s radiator area and frame for mud, grass, dirt, debris and rust. If any of these are present, the vehicle should be washed and cleaned as soon as possible.

 6. Battery Housing

Check the battery compartment for any possible leaks from the flood.It is vital that you handle these leaks as soon as possible. Because when certain amount of flood water builds up in your battery, detrimental effects could happen to your vehicle. And if you found some leaks into the housing, immediately take out your car’s battery by carefully removing the negative terminal, followed by the positive terminal. Here you can contact a reliable car mechanic to ensure everything is running out just fine. 

 

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Kate Manning

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