Unfortunately, due to the unpredictable nature of driving on the UK’s network of roads, it is simply not possible to cover every conceivable situation which you may face when driving.
Because conditions and situations can vary greatly, we hope that this section will help to provide a little insight into some of the more uncommon (yet realistic) situations that you may face whilst driving.
How To Drive Safely in Flood Conditions?
The unpredictable nature of the UK’s weather can often result in road conditions becoming very tricky. Whilst snow and ice are limited to the winter, rain leading to flood conditions can take place at any time during the year and therefore need to be understood if you are to continue your journey safely after encountering them.
The following video from http://www.bluelightaware.org.uk/ explores this in further detail.
The Official RAC Guide
The RAC have drawn up a comprehensive guide based around driving in very wet/flooded conditions and we have picked out some of the key points below:
“Driving in heavy rain and flooding can be hazardous. Here are some useful hints and tips to help you prepare for wet weather.
Breakdown numbers always increase during periods of wet weather, as the damp causes problems with engines and electrical systems, particularly in older vehicles. If you must drive, there are a handful of steps you can take to reduce your chances of an accident or breakdown dramatically.
Avoiding Breakdowns
Many rain-related breakdowns are easily avoidable as they are often caused by people driving through deep standing water. While cars have improved significantly in technical terms in recent years they are still not waterproof and will break down if they are driven through deep water. This can lead to catastrophic engine failure which will be extremely expensive to put right.
A catastrophic flood-related engine damage incident is typically caused by water being sucked into the engine which causes the engine to lock up and can in turn damage important engine components including piston connecting rods and valves.
This inevitably means a new engine will have to be fitted, but what people generally don’t understand is that it is the owner who is likely to have foot the expensive garage bill unless they can demonstrate to their insurer – like any accident – that it was not their actions that caused the damage.”
To see what else they have to say, please check out the following link – http://www.rac.co.uk/advice/winter-driving/driving-in-heavy-rain-and-flooding