Safety tips for driving in floods
Crashing floods with a car should not be done even if you have to, significantly if the flood exceeds your car tires' height. It will be very risky. At least your car engine can damage due to water intrusion.
The suggestions above may not apply if we feel trapped. Stressed and tired of work, the traffic jam conditions, plus the rain that never stops, making you want to get home faster and stronger.
Moreover, if the road is the only way that must be pass to get home. Like it or not, breaking through and braving the flood is the only way you must do to get to the destination. Here are some safety tips for driving in floods by a car that you can do.
1. Be aware of your car's condition.
Being aware of your car's condition before deciding whether to hit the flood or not is the first point, which is an essential point in maintaining the safety of yourself and your vehicle.
Try to answer the three questions below.
- Is the car in top condition?
- Is the flood level not higher than your tires?
- Was this car safe when it hit the previous floods?
If you have one "No" answer question, it is highly recommended that you don't hit the flood. It would be better to find other alternative roads or wait until the flood is going low.
The reason is you will get many losses and spend a lot of money to pull and repair your flooded vehicle. For example:
- Broken engine due to "water hammer."
- Cost to tow your car to the nearest auto repair shop.
- Car computer control units such as ECU, TCU, ABS, etc., are prone to damage.
- Long repair time
- Additional cost for other substitute transportation
But if you believe that your car is capable of passing the flood, the flood does not exceed the height of the car's wheels, and your vehicle has also been through the flood, then the next step is to observe the road position and the water level.
2. Observe road position and the flood level
You can observe the flood level by paying attention to other vehicles that are passing through the flood. At least this needs to be done to ensure that your car will be safe when going through the flood.
Please pay attention to the level of the water submerging their vehicle. Will the water level be passed later? Then also, pay attention to where is the deepest position of the flood?
That way, you can choose a path where the puddle is not too deep, so the risk is smaller and can be minimized.
Also, pay attention to the waves that occur when the car in front of you passes. Be careful of the waves created so that they are not sucked into the intake channel, which can cause the engine to crash and damage.
3. Use the lowest gear and avoid half clutch
When your car enters a flooded area, always use the lowest gear to keep engine rpm high (at least not the same as engine idling rpm). Engine speed above idling rpm, constant and stable, can hold water from entering the exhaust pipe.
Also, avoid half clutch to maintain engine rpm. Be careful with the water that entering the clutch housing. It can accelerate damage to your car clutch. The reason is, the clutch plate grip when you do "half clutch" is not perfect.
A half clutch will cause the friction between the clutch plate and the flywheel to get bigger. Considerable friction will cause abnormal heat on the clutch plate and make it worn-out faster.
4. Use average engine speed
Engine speed that is too high when passing through a flood is also not recommended. Besides being wasteful of fuel, high engine speed during a flood can also be dangerous because the intake manifold will potentially suck water into the engine.
Controlling the speed of the vehicle will also be more difficult because the engine speed is too high. These conditions' anticipation is to do a "half clutch" or some called "driving the clutch."
But this is a risk. Doing half clutch continuously when the engine speed is too high can also damage the clutch plate itself, as we explained in the previous point. Just use average engine speed in 1000-2000 rpm when passing through a flooded road.
5. Maintain the distance between other cars
If possible, it would be better if you pass the floods alternately with other cars, so you can pass the floods without stopping. If forced and cannot be done, then always keep a safe distance from the car in front of you when crossing the flood.
Don't ride too close. Instead, keep it far enough to avoid and anticipate conditions if you have to stop in the middle of a flooded road.