SAFE DRIVING TIPS THAT WILL GET YOU THROUGH FLOODS
We all love Monsoons, don’t we? But do we remember to keep safe driving tips in our minds while enjoying the monsoon right.
That being said, Monsoon in India comes with a cost. Cost of water-logged roads and flooded streets. Floods in our country are something that is inevitable, no matter how experienced you are behind the wheels. The majority of the people who own a car, do not have sheltered garages to keep their vehicles safe from the rain. Already, many cities are bracing for the hit. The reason being, fragile construction, potholes with deep puddles are probably your worst nightmare. Add to that, with wet slippery roads and poor visibility you should refrain from driving in the monsoon.
However, if you really have to, here are the five essential safe driving tips that will get you through the floods:
1. STAY AWAY FROM MASSIVE STANDING POOLS OF WATER:
The condition of the Indian roads is collapsing in general which gets worse in rains. Poor road construction with the pinch of rain results in pools and puddles everywhere. The formation of puddles can be deeper than it looks which makes driving risky in this weather. Mostly, cars are designed to be stand up to about half a foot of water. If you are familiar with the route, it is advisable to take an alternative route. Similarly, check for Google Maps, traffic updates online, and talk to people on the road for the information. If not the case, wait and observe other vehicles to analyze how grave the situation are you in.
2. SECRET IS TO ALWAYS KEEP MOVING:
The most important safe driving tip through a flood is to keep moving through the water. Never stop! Avoid accelerating suddenly or applying brakes excessively. Keep a steady momentum. Try not to stop the car in the standing water. As a result, water may crawl its way up into the vehicle through intake or exhaust. You should remember to drive using lower gears as in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and keep the engine revs on the higher side. Driving in water puts the added strain on the engine which puts it at the major risks at the higher gears.
Likewise, paddling through water will put additional strain on the engine & using the third gear instead of the first gear will lead to the car stalling.
3. OPERATE THE BRAKES ONCE THE WATER IS CLEAR:
Imagine, you managed to get your vehicle out of the floods. Amazing, isn’t it? But your work does not finish here. It is necessary to check if everything is working properly especially the brakes. Pumping the brakes on a dry area will help you get rid of any excess water present inside. The water inside the vehicle actually blocks the proper usage of the brakes. In addition, water build-up can even cause the breaks to fail which leads to a dangerous situation.
The solution is to get out the excess water immediately, so the car can move smoothly and quickly.
4. NEVER RESTART THE ENGINE IF STALLED IN WATER:
Individuals like you think that they can handle anything when it comes to driving. And this is where people run into trouble. If you find yourself stuck on the flooded road, never try to restart the engine immediately. This is the biggest mistake one can make. You don’t want to get strained in the flooded water and this is something that we all agree on. In case, if you doubt that the water has entered the engine, switch off the car at the instance. This simple solution will keep the damage minimal and eventually you will end up saving loads of money. After that, push your vehicle to a dry area and call for emergency services for help.
5. PANIC IS NOT THE ANSWER- STAY CALM! :
Facing a trapped and hostile situation in a car with floodwater is no easy task? The solution is to stay calm and not panic in these situations. If the water level outside your car reached above the window level, firstly try to open the doors with your legs. If you cannot do the same, find a sharp metal object that can be used to break the glass windows.
However, keep in mind that the windshield glass is a lot harder and tougher to break.
Remember, car headrests have metal spikes that can be used for the same. In other words, you need to stay calm and analyze the surroundings.
PANIC IS NOT THE ANSWER.
To sum it up, driving which may seem such an easy task can soon at the outbreak of floods become a risky incident. These five safe driving tips will help you to get through the large pools of water and floods. And with the monsoons being so unpredictable at the given point, these crucial car driving tips and helpful guides will get you through any type of rain or flood that hits your city.
Therefore, keep these pointers in mind and take all the necessary precautions while driving in such weather-especially if you live in a flood-prone area. Stay safe, drive safe!
Writer by profession and big foodie along with a freelancer photographer by choice. Pizza and coffee can fix anything for me 😁.
Movie buff and travelling I love to do in my spare time.
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