Seven centimeters of water are enough to lose control of the car

When the rain is brief, but very intense, in a few minutes it causes strong ravines and floods, making the roads impassable. How to face a similar situation from the driver's point of view?

With water, the asphalt becomes slippery and dangerous, and it must be borne in mind that one's own safety and that of others comes first. We propose a series of general recommendations that will minimize the risks that occur when driving a vehicle with rain, since it is demonstrated that, almost always when there are storms of this nature, people die from the use of the car and from the excess of confidence in the vehicle as a place of refuge or rescue boat. 

In the car

• The first thing to say is that if we are onboard our vehicle or we are going to use it and we are surprised by a storm with heavy rain, we must get away as quickly as possible from the places of passage of the runways and points potentially flooding, always looking for a high and safe area. 
• Unless there is certainty that the current does not have much depth, one must refrain from passing through it, as it may have been able to drag stones or mud and even tree branches that can leave us stuck; and it can also happen that inside there is an open sewer, which would become a real trap.
• Even without any of the above problems, the water in motion and only a few centimeters high will be enough for us to start losing control over the vehicle. Experts in this type of situation affirm that, in general, with only seven centimeters deep in the current, the engine of the vehicle that tries to cross it will stop and if the water reaches thirty centimeters, the vehicle will begin to float and be dragged by the current, if the water reaches approximately sixty centimeters. So do not boast of brave "camel trophies" and do not risk more than necessary.

Once on foot...

• The stones or branches of trees that have been able to detach themselves due to the heavy rain and be careful with the areas of the road that can give way as a result of the weakening of the ground and collapse under the weight of a vehicle must also be monitored.
• If you are forced to walk through flooded areas, you should not forget that the waters that do not move, logically if they are not deep, are the safest, because if there is a current seven centimeters high they would be enough to make us lose our balance, throw us at ground and put ourselves at the mercy of the current.

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We offer a 1, 2 and 4-week intensive driving course as well as semi-intensive driving lessons for learners in Bristol, Avonmouth, and Southmead.

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