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When flooding happens it can be sudden and take people by surprise, leaving them confused over what maybe the best course of action to take. Naturally, people tend to think of their home first, and may dismiss any thoughts of their car, but considering cars are usually a person's second most expensive asset, after their home, this may be ill-advised.
For starters, your car is movable where your home isn't, so avoiding flood damage altogether is possible, simply by moving it to higher ground. This is necessary because, although it is made of metal and quite heavy, it has lots of cavities (such as under the wings) which can trap air and cause it to float away. Even larger vehicles can float in water that is less than waist deep. Furthermore, according to the environment agency, as little as 6 inches of fast flowing flood water is enough to actually move a parked car.
Try to avoid any unnecessary journeys, and do not drive through water that is more than a few inches deep. Besides the issue of fast moving flood water, your car can sustain serious engine damage. Although the air intake on any given car is at the top of the engine, many cars have a sealed cold air feed that opens lower down, and this can sometimes cause the engine to "hoover" up water. It only requires a very small amount of liquid to cause what's known as "compression lock" which can lead to irreparable damage to an engine almost instantaneously. Modern cars also have much more electronic circuitry than they did in the past, such as the engine control unit. These are generally splash proof but may not be water tight if fully submerged.
In wet conditions such as flooding, aquaplaning is a common hazard. Drive slowly, especially through any depth of water, as your tyres have a limit to how much water they can shift from the road surface. At excess speed this can cause your tyres to float with a thin layer of water between you and the road surface. When this happens your brakes and steering will have little effect on the car's motion, until your speed drops sufficiently and your tyres regain contact with the road. Bearing this in mind, if you do find yourself aquaplaning, ease off the accelerator, and if possible keep the steering straight. This is to avoid any unexpected responses from the car if it regains grip suddenly, which ironically can cause an accident after the car has stopped aquaplaning.
To avoid aquaplaning in the first place, ensure you check your tyres regularly. The minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm, across the whole width of the tyre. Don't worry about measuring this, tyre manufacturers helpfully incorporate small blocks in the bottom of tyre grooves that are 1.6mm high, so you can instantly see if the rest of your tyre has worn down level with one of these. However, it is worth noting tyre manufacturers recommend renewing your tyres when the tread depth drops below 3mm. Although this may seem like a good idea for selling more tyres, it does make good sense as a tyre at the legal minimum may need up to 30% more space to stop you than the same tyre with 3mm tread left. Besides, most tyres have at least 8mm of tread when they are new.
If you are unfortunate enough to have a problem and your car stops, there are several things you should do. As always, safety comes first. You should look to the safety of any occupants initially, and then at the position of the vehicle itself. Contact your insurance company as early as possible. These days most companies have some sort of claims service to advise you at the scene of an incident, and this should help prevent you doing anything that may prejudice your claim, such as causing further damage to your car. They may also arrange to have the car picked up for you. Lastly, if the vehicle is a potential hazard or obstruction, you should inform the local emergency services and follow their instruction.
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