Tips for Driving on Flooded Roads

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Slow down! It takes longer to stop or adjust in wet weather.

Stay toward the middle lanes – water tends to pool in the outside lanes. (You can’t be sure of this on our roads!)

Maintain proper following distance. This needs to be increased in wet weather.

Drive in the tracks of a car ahead of you.

Don’t follow large trucks or busses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your vision. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely.

Be more alert when driving in wet or slippery conditions.

Watch out for brake lights in front of you. Avoid using your brakes; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down.

Turn your headlights on even in a light rain, or in gloomy, foggy or overcast conditions. Not only do they help you see the road, but they’ll help other drivers see you. If your car has daytime running lights you still should put them on, so vehicles behind you can see you better.

Replace old or brittle wipers.

Avoid off-road driving: it’s hard to judge the actual depth of puddles and you can easily become stuck, even in an SUV.

Never drive beyond the limits of visibility.

At night rainy roads become especially treacherous. The glare of oncoming lights, amplified by the rain on your windscreen, can cause temporary loss of visibility while substantially increasing driver fatigue.

In rainy conditions pedestrians, livestock, and wildlife are extremely hard to spot and even harder to avoid.

Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the ground through it; your car could be swept off the road.

When driving through a puddle of uncertain depth, go slow. If it’s deeper than the bottom of your doors, turn around and find another route.  Deep water can cause serious damage to a modern car’s electrical system.

Avoid splashing pedestrians- some drivers just dont bother with the pedestrians and splash filthy water all over them.  Imagine, if it was you walking on the road.

If possible, stay off the road during heavy thunderstorms. Large flashes of lightning can temporarily blind and disorient drivers, and the accompanying high winds and heavy rain can create deadly driving conditions.

Aqua planning occurs when the car tyre’s tread pattern is unable to disperse enough water to maintain a point of contact between the tyre and the road. This makes the vehicle uncontrollable with the loss of steering, grip and a sensation of driving on ice. It can be very frightening event. Hold your steering wheel lightly and lift off the accelerator until your car tyres regain their grip.

If you’re unlucky enough to break down in heavy rain, stay with your car but check you are not in a location that is at risk of flash flooding. Your engine may have been affected by the water and in many cases the car will restart when it has had a chance to ‘dry out’. If you have called for assistance do not prop the bonnet open until help arrives. This will cause the electrics to become rain-soaked and the car will be even harder to restart.

Safe Driving!