I had another moment of surprise yesterday when I drove early to work and discovered a major road was partially closed, owing to a lot of standing water. I didn’t even realise it had rained that much overnight! With this in mind, at least a few times on my journey I tackled some standing water. Here are some tips to ensure that you drive it in a safe, controlled manner:
If there are some standing water puddles to the nearside (closest to the curb) of the road and there’s room to the offside, treat it as you would do any other hazard. Mirror, signal (if required) and manoeuvre around the hazard in a way that is safe and return to your normal lane position when able to do so.
A large body of standing water that cannot be avoided must be given much more consideration. Ask yourself whether you really need to go that way or if you can get to your destination by another route. Be aware that police or other emergency services may be controlling the situation so you may not have a choice but to turn around. If you find yourself in this situation, remain calm. It’s possible there will be a traffic build up behind you and some cars may follow your lead early.
If you have no choice but to cross a body of standing water, use other observation cues to give an impression of depth of the water. For example, look at curb levels, watch other cars driving through it, use your prior knowledge and look for abandoned vehicles. These all give an indication of whether you will be able to safely cross. If the circumstances dictate that you are still unsure of whether you can cross, park your car at a safe, legal, convenient place (with hazards or sidelights on if required) and conduct a closer visual check.
The decision to drive through standing water shouldn’t be taken lightly, but if you do so, don’t approach at speed. You should:
- Run the engine to prevent water from entering it either from the exhaust or the front end air intake
- Not create a bow wave – the risk this represents is that when you reach the other side it comes back on you and swamps your car
- Continue at a low, consistent speed so as to disturb the water as little as possible
- Not make any sudden steering, braking or accelerating inputs. Any one of these could destabilise your vehicle and cause aquaplaning which we have covered in an another post here
On exiting the water, you may find that your brakes are far less responsive than normal. If this is the case, apply and release the brakes on a regular basis until the feel returns as normal. Your tyres will be wet, so grip will be lesser than normal. However, your car should function as it did prior to crossing the water. If something does not feel quite right, a trip to the garage should be considered earlier rather than later to ensure there is no lasting water damage.
Ultimately, some water cannot be crossed regardless of vehicle type and driver skill. It is down to you to ensure you make progress in a manner that is safe, considerate and with respect for other road users. My advice? If in doubt, find an alternative route. Water damage can be very expensive to repair!
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