How To Drive Through A Flooded Street

You may be asking yourself, “What is the best way to drive through a flooded street?” Well here is our advice, DON’T. But if you must or you’re already stuck in it, here are a few tips to help you make it though.

What is the best way to drive through a flooded street?

Again… just don’t do it. But if you must then we suggest using first or second gear (this would be L or 1 in an automatic car). Make sure to keep your foot on the gas and keep your car in the lowest gear. Also it is important to use the break to control your speed, make sure not to go too fast or you will cause a large “bow wave”.

My engine has sucked in water should I try to restart it?

DO NOT try to restart  your car. If water has been sucked into the engine and it has stalled, you should first remove the injectors or plugs so that the water can be drained. Water in your engine can cause severe damage and may need to be stripped down in order to get it back into running condition.

My car has four-wheel-drive, can I drive through a flooded street?

Yes, your car may have four-wheel-drive but as mentioned above, it is important to know where your air intake is located. If you have a high level air intake, then you should be more worried about the carpet of your car and your pretty Louis Vuitton sneakers getting wet when the waters come through the seal of your door. Also keep in mind that even 4×4 vehicles are no match for moving water. All it takes is 30 centimeters of fast moving water to wash your car off the road.

Other tips for driving through flooded streets:

When streets are flooded, they are easier to navigate when driven by one car at a time. If there are vehicles going the opposite direction, wait for them to pass and then follow in their path.

If you feel yourself starting to lose grip when driving through a deep section, it could be because your car is trying to float away. Brace yourself, you’re not going to like this next part. If your car is starting to float, you will need to open a door to allow some water into your car. Hopefully this will weigh your car down enough to give your tires grip again. We recommend having the passenger of the vehicle do this if possible.

If you were lucky enough to make it through the flooded street without any issues it is important to take some time to test your brakes. While driving slow,  tough the brake very lightly several times in order to try and dry off your brake pads.