Driving tips for making it through heavy rain and floods

Had a peek out the window lately? Go on, get your head up from that Excel file and check out the gloom and wetness. Ireland in November is rarely, if ever, a cheery place but right now it has been chucking it down, raining stair-rods, (insert your own wet weather cliche here).

That means we all need to be a bit more careful when out and about, as spot flooding is inevitable and there is also the danger of rivers overruning their banks. Dealing withfloods on the road is a simple skill but one that you may need to brush up on again.

So first and foremost, take it gently. Excess speed in thise kinds of conditions leads toaquaplaning and no matter how good a driver you think you are, if your tyres are riding on a cushion of water, no amount of wheelmanship is going to get you out of trouble. So slow down.

The fact that it will be dark when we’re heading home tonight will make things harder a lack of natural light makes it harder to judge the depth of water on the road, so beware of charging into puddles to readily.

Most cars these days have well-protected electronics and air-intakes moved up out of the way of any incoming water, but if it’s deep enough and if you don’t get the technique right, water getting your engine, via the air intake or exhaust, is a disaster. So, it’s go slowly through the water, but not too slowly - keep the bow-wave of the water ahead of you at all times and use a low-gear; high engine rpm will create pressure in the exhaust that will stop the water getting in that way.

If it’s safe to occupy the centre of the road is better as the water will generally be shallowest there, but that’s a generalisation. On some roads, the camber is different to others, which means the shallow end can be not where you’re expecting it. If in extreme doubt, get out and have a look (again, if it’s safe to do so). Water deeper than mid-way up your knees is as a rule of thumb going to be too deep.

Don’t assume that ownership of an SUV grants you immunity either. ’Proper’ off-roaders, such as Land Rover and Jeep products are generally able to tackle up to half-a-metre of water, but they’re the exception. A car-based SUV will only be able to handle water significantly lower than that.

And what if the worst occurs, the river near your house bursts and your car is left standing in deep water? Brian Greene is a Chief Motor Engineer from Assess Ireland, and he told us that the best thing to do with a car left in deep standing water is simply to wait until the flood has receded.

“Where you return to see your car in water, be particularly careful, as it is impossible to determine type of water it is, the depth of the water, whether there are hidden or uncovered objects (manhole covers for example), or even whether the water is still moving.” Safety first in other words. Leave well enough alone until the flood is gone, and then call in a professional recovery company to get the car out for you. And, of course, call your insurers as they are the experts when it comes to determining whether or not your car can be safely repaired.

“If you are considering buying a car in the next few weeks, we would always suggest that the first action should be to perform a vehicle history check. Insurers in Ireland and the UK report any vehicle that has been written off to a central database for reference” said Brian Greene.

“It is possible nevertheless that a vehicle was damaged and not reported to an insurance company, and may not be recorded as being written off. In these cases, I would suggest that you consider asking an expert to view the vehicle for you, for less than the cost of your next service it is a very wise investment. We are one of the only companies to continue to offer this service and the findings can be shocking, considering the amount of outlay involved for someone.”

So whether driving or buying, remember the words of the sergeant in Hill Street Blues and let’s be careful out there, people.

Neil Briscoe