What Are the Safety Precautions for Driving Through Water?
3 Answers
Safety precautions for driving through water include observing road conditions, turning on the wipers in advance, maintaining steady throttle and driving at a low gear with constant speed, removing moisture from brake pads, and avoiding forced ignition. Observing road conditions: You should slow down or stop to observe. As long as the water level reaches two-thirds of the bumper or tire, there is a certain danger in driving through water. High speed will increase the actual water depth the car passes through, causing rainwater to enter the cabin from the engine compartment or chassis. Turning on the wipers in advance: Slowly enter the water. Before deciding to pass through the waterlogged road, you need to turn on the wipers in advance. Turning on the wipers in advance can ensure relatively clear and good visibility, helping the vehicle pass through the waterlogged road safely. Maintaining steady throttle and driving at a low gear with constant speed: When driving on waterlogged roads, you should first ensure stable and powerful power for the vehicle, so that there is always pressure gas in the exhaust pipe to prevent water from flowing back into the exhaust pipe and causing the engine to stall. Removing moisture from brake pads: After the car has driven through water, you should promptly remove moisture from the brake pads, especially for cars with drum brakes. Otherwise, the vehicle will lose braking after driving through water, causing serious danger or accidents. Avoiding forced ignition: If the engine stalls, avoid forced ignition. If you make an operational error while passing through waterlogged roads due to unfamiliarity with the road conditions, do not force a second ignition once the vehicle stalls.
When driving on flooded roads, I believe the most crucial points are: first, assess the water depth—it's best not to exceed half the height of the wheels, otherwise it may cause the engine to stall due to water intake. I remember one rainy season when I drove through a small puddle at high speed and felt the car hydroplane, so I quickly slowed down to below 20 km/h and maintained a steady pace. Also, avoid sudden braking or acceleration to prevent skidding or splashing water that could affect other vehicles. If you encounter deep water, it's safer to avoid taking risks—detour or stop and wait instead. Additionally, it's best to keep the windows tightly closed to prevent water from entering, but if the water depth becomes threatening, lower the windows in advance as an escape route. Roads with poor drainage after rain are particularly hazardous, so try to choose elevated roads or familiar main routes. In short, safety comes first—don’t overlook these details just to save time, as life is more important than anything else.
As an experienced driver, I believe driving through waterlogged roads requires advance preparation and prevention: check the weather forecast before heading out to avoid driving in heavy rain. If encountering standing water on the road, maintain slow speed below 30 km/h, apply steady throttle to keep the engine running smoothly and reduce floating risk caused by water wave pressure. Keep at least double the normal following distance to prevent visibility obstruction from splashes or potential collisions. Additionally, inspect vehicle conditions - factors like exhaust pipe height affect water ingress risks, ensure proper underbody protection. Extra caution is needed during night rain - manually activate headlights and rear fog lamps for better visibility instead of relying on auto mode. In related discussions, some shared that water entering brake systems reduces braking force, so gently test brakes after exiting flooded areas. After each rain, I clean wheel sediments to prevent imbalance during future water encounters.
