We’ve all either been there or seen the news footage: Someone’s driving along their usual route during a storm, when the car is faced with massive amounts of standing water, right in the middle of the road. Sometimes, the accumulation is shallow enough for drivers to pass safely through, but other times, the flooded roads are a disaster waiting to happen.
When you have to continue on your way to get to your destination, what can you do to ensure your safety?
Turn around:
We’re not going to give you ninja tricks to be able to drive through a makeshift pool while everyone else with common sense turns around and finds an alternate route. You should be doing the same thing. It doesn’t matter how cool you think your car is, as little as a foot of water could stall your engine. Better to be late than in that predicament.
Slow down:
Let’s say that for whatever reason, you still choose to drive through water. Be it a lack of common sense or bad judgment, here’s something you can do to minimize damage: enter as slow as you can. The last thing you need is to lose traction and for your vehicle to aquaplane (especially if your family’s in your car with you). And if you make it out of the water safely, congratulations. But still test your brakes before increasing speed.
Do not restart your engine:
If your engine shuts off, do not restart it. Cut your losses and call for help. Hopefully, you have comprehensive car insurance (do you?) If you don’t, and you live in a flood prone area, get on it. In the words of John. F. Kennedy, the time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining.
Roll down your windows:
If you get stuck, depending on the depth of the water, it might be hard to open the doors. Roll down your windows before your power buttons stop working. Even if it’s raining, you’ll want to get out of your car.
Be patient when filing your claim with your car insurance provider:
Be patient. If this was a city-wide issue, you’d likely be one of many calling to file claims at the same time. If just thinking about waiting on hold for a fortnight gets you in a bad mood, refer to point number one above, and make it a personal policy to never drive through standing waters.
You know what else you should do if you live in a flood prone area? Contact us. At National Flood Experts, we’ll do a free evaluation of your home to determine its chances of flooding. You have nothing to lose and plenty of benefits to gain. Give us a call.