The period between End of May-Start of June is a very pleasant time. During this time, the monsoons mainly start in Western and Southern India. However, after a week of monsoon, daily news like submerging of a car and someone falling into an open ditch start coming. Here, we provide you with tips for driving in flood.
Mostly, Mumbai is the first one to get affected by the monsoons. For Mumbaikars, traffic due to heavy rainfall, delay in local trains, submerging and damaging of cars is quite normal during the rainy season. Over 100-200 people are killed every year due to heavy rainfall and severe drainage problems in Mumbai. For them, flooding is an everyday routine during monsoons. During this time, your car also gets damaged by either going through a flooded road or being parked under heavy rainfall. There have been many instances in places like Dadar, Andheri, Santacruz, where the cars are fully submerged under water and get damaged due to waterlogging. To avoid such problems, we provide you with some tips on safe driving in floods, so that your car is not damaged and your pocket is also fine.
Also Read: Car Care Tips For Monsoon
You should avoid driving in flooded streets, but if you don’t have any other option but to drive through the flood water here’s what you should do-
1. Keep the engine revving higher– Before driving in a floods, assess the water level and condition of the streets. If favourable, drive through the street on the first gear and keep your engine revving higher than usual in order to keep the water entering from the exhaust and damaging the engine.
2. Drive Slow– Heavy rain results in low visibility and minimal traction. Hence, when driving in flood water, the best advice is to go easy on the brakes and throttle. This result in hydroplaning, which will cause you to lose control of your car. The braking distance for cars also and in case of Mumbai, it increases even more because of its concrete roads.
3. Abandon your car if the water level reaches the door- If the water level doesn’t show any sign of reducing, its best advised to park your car in the corner of the road and inform a civic body. If someone continues to drive in a heavily waterlogged street, chances are that the car might get locked from the inside and the windows will also not function due to electrical failure. You must find a safe corner spot for your car for parking. You can always salvage your car later on.
4. Head Rests double up as glass breakers- If you happen to be stuck in your car surrounded by water, you can use your car’s headrest as a glass breaker to set free. Even though it is advised to keep a small hammer in the car’s boot or in the glove box for emergency situations, your car’s headrest can save your day for doubling up as a glass breaker. While breaking the window or windshield, just maintain some distance with it as you may get injured.
Also Read: Delhi On Dust Storm Alert- How To Protect Your Car From Dust
Here’s what you need to do if you’re stuck with your car surrounded by water- Here’s what you need to do if you’re stuck with your car surrounded by water-
1. Turn off the engine- You risk the flooding of your air inflow with water if you continue to drive on a waterlogged street. The first thing to do when water becomes a lot to handle is to switch off your car engine. This will prevent water from entering the air intake and choking the engine. If your air intake is already compromised, it is still advisable to switch off the engine so as to avoid its seizure.
2. Park in the corner of the road– Don’t park your car in the middle of the road and abandon it. Try to park your car away from trees and poles so as to avoid any catastrophic accident. If a corner is not accessible, it’s advisable to park at some higher patch of ground, away from water before you can restart your engine. 3. Disconnect the battery- If you can, remove the battery connections of your car. This will avoid any accidental short circuits and will keep the electrical system safe. Once you reconnect, check all electrical systems carefully and if you see any flickering or disturbance, turn the engine off and contact your mechanic.
3. Disconnect the battery– If you can, remove the battery connections of your car. This will avoid any accidental short circuits and will keep the electrical system safe. Once you reconnect, check all electrical systems carefully and if you see any flickering or disturbance, turn the engine off and contact your mechanic.
4. Wait for the water to recede- After leaving your car in a safe spot, wait for a few days for the water level to decrease. Once you revisit your car, do not turn on the engine as some moisture might still be there in the engine. You also have to disconnect your battery, if you didn’t do the same before. Start drying the interiors of your car and take your car to a mechanic for repair. You should contact your insurance company if your car insurance covers flood damage. So these were our tips and suggestions as to what you should do in a flooded situation. Do let us know your feedback in the comment section below and keep following us on carblogindia.com for more.
What do you think of our tips for driving in flood water? We hope you find these useful. Stay tuned on CarBlogIndia for more such tips and bits of advice.
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