With floods now massively affecting hundreds and thousands of Malaysia, here’s what you should follow if you’re driving through a flooded road according to Carsome!
Always Keep Your Car Running and Moving
One thing you should never do is bring your car to a total stop during a flood. You should always keep your car moving slowly but at a constant, steady speed without accelerating too much.
Driving too fast might cause water to enter the vital parts of the car like through the intake and exhaust. This can be really dangerous as it can cause damage to your engine. You will also create a wave that will splash other road users. Remember to always drive in a lower gear, as anything beyond second gear can cause the car to stall.
Drive along the Highest Point of the Road
Most roads slope down on either side to channel water into the drain when it rains. To avoid the deepest of the water, aim to drive in the middle of the road, where it’s usually the highest. If you’re driving on a narrow, single, or double-lane road, pay attention to oncoming cars as they might be driving down the middle as well.
Keep Your Distance from the Car in Front of You
As your brakes might be in constant contact with water, they may not work as well. Therefore, you should keep more distance between yourself and the car in front of you, at least twice as much space as usual. This will allow you to brake in time in case anything happens and also gives you more space to maneuver your car as necessary.
Continuously Rev the Engine
If you think the flood level is low enough to drive through, drive your car in first gear in a manual car or L in an automatic car. Keep a consistent, medium engine rpm (revolutions per minute) of around 1,500 to 2,000 while you drive. This revving will stop the water from entering the engine and prevent stalling or seizing of the engine. Once you’re out of a flooded road, don’t turn off your engine as water could still enter it. Instead, keep driving for at least a few minutes.
Do Not Restart Your Car if it Stops
If your car is stalled in water, make sure not to restart your engine immediately. If you restart your car immediately, you may cause additional stress on the engine’s connecting rods, leading to them breaking apart. Restarting your engine can also cause water to leak into the electrical system, which may cause a fire.
Switch on Your Lights and Turn Off the Air Conditioning
Driving your car in flood waters will give limited visibility. And turning on your headlights will not only help you see better while driving through water but also alert other cars around you of your presence. The lights might also help you guess how deep the water-logged roads are. After your lights are on, make sure to turn off the air conditioning system as the rising water level could quite easily damage the fan that sits in the engine compartment.
Avoid Moving Water
You might think it’s alright to drive through moving water especially if it’s shallow, but you should avoid it at all costs. Moving water, even when it’s shallow, can sweep your vehicle away as moving water can easily cancel the grip underneath your tires. Less than one foot of moving water can sweep your car away, while two feet of water can even float SUVs and pickup trucks.
This is very unpleasant but important for your safety; if you feel your wheels start to lose grip while driving through water, open your car door and let some water in. The extra weight from the water will keep you down and hopefully keep you from floating away. When you’ve restored traction, drive slowly out of the water.
Dry Your Brakes
Once you’re out of the water, don’t take off at speed. Instead, keep driving slowly and brake intermittently as you go. This will gradually dry your brakes and help you test them to ensure they’re still good. If you just speed off right out of a flood, you could risk losing control of your car due to wet brakes.
Do Not Panic
If your car is stuck in flood and can’t move, don’t panic, as it can prevent you from thinking of what to do next which can be really dangerous. Always remain calm and try your best to exit your car in a safe manner. The pressure of the water outside might prevent your doors from opening, so if this happens, try using force by pushing the door with both your legs. If that doesn’t work, you can use your headrest or something else to break one of the door’s windows to escape safely.
