DRIVING IN RAIN



DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODS, STANDING WATER, HEAVY RAIN

Be safe, and prepare for wet weather, give yourself the best chance of being able to see clearly in wet weather by renewing your windscreen wipers if worn or damaged.

Double the distance you leave between your car and the car in front of you, as stopping distances are increased by wet roads. If steering becomes unresponsive due to the rain, ease off the accelerator and slow down gradually.

If you come across flood water, you should only attempt to drive through if you know how deep it is, if you know the depth and need to drive through deep water, maintain a steady but slow speed and avoid creating a bow wave. The engine's air intake on many cars is low down and at the front of the car, it can take just an egg cupful of water in the combustion chamber to wreck an engine. Driving fast, even if the intake's above the water level could cause water to be ingested.

Allow oncoming traffic to pass first and test your brakes as soon as you can after leaving the water. Don't try driving through fast-moving water, such as a flooded bridge approach, your car could easily be swept away.

Watch out for standing water, try to avoid it if you can, and adjust your speed to the conditions. If you experience aquaplaning, hold the steering wheel lightly and lift off the throttle until the tyres regain grip.

Driving fast through standing water is inconsiderate, driving through water at speeds above a slow crawl can result in water being thrown onto pavements soaking pedestrians or cyclists. You could face a hefty fine and between three and nine penalty points if the police believe you were driving without reasonable consideration to other road users.

Driving fast through standing water can cause expensive damage – the air intake on many cars is low down at the front of the engine bay and it only takes a small quantity of water sucked into the engine to cause serious damage. All engines are affected but turbo-charged and diesel engines are most vulnerable.

As you drive slowly through standing water keep the engine revving by slipping the clutch, otherwise water in the exhaust could stall the engine.

If you break down in heavy rain don't prop the bonnet open while you wait for the patrol to arrive – the engine will be more difficult to start again if the electrics are all rain-soaked.

This is not an exhaustive list, it does cover many of the main points, we are not liable for any missing information, it is for guidance only.