It could get rainy…
When you live on an island chain in the North Atlantic, whether it’s Great Britain or Gometra, the weather can turn at a moment’s notice. The saying in the west of Scotland goes that, ‘if you don’t like the weather, wait half an hour’ – and sudden climactic changes can have a dramatic impact on a driver.
Much of Britain’s population lives by the sea, or by a major water source like a lake or river, meaning a large proportion of its 35 million drivers can face flooding challenges when driving on waterside roads, or at sea level.
Always plan ahead
Whether you’re driving five miles or 500 to get from A to B, you should take a look at a detailed weather forecast for your route, for both the day of travel, and the day before. That’s because, for example, if you’re travelling on a Friday, Thursday’s weather could influence your route choice or journey time.
To avoid any flooded areas in Scotland, check the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) website for flood alerts.
If you meet a flood, go slowly
Do not simply punch through it in your vehicle – according to the AA, as little as an eggcup of water could cause critical damage to it. Some flooding, such as from blocked drains, or burst water mains, could be very localised and go unreported, so it’s important as a driver you react in the right way if you’re taken by surprise.
Firstly, do your best to avoid the flood water and divert to higher ground and pursue an alternative route, if possible, to your destination.
Then, if visibility is poor (less than 100 metres in front of you) use your headlights or switch on the vehicle’s fog lights until visibility improves.
Avoid flowing water on the road, and only drive through water that is less than ten centimetres, or four inches, deep. If you’re unsure, measure the depth from other passing traffic.
Finally, when driving through water on the road, approach at slow speed so that you do not create a ‘bow wave’, or tidal wave of sorts, and keep a slow speed throughout to avoid water splashing too much onto the underside of the car, and from spraying onto the pavement where pedestrians or passing cyclists could get soaked – landing you with a fine, or points on your licence.
Driving too fast through on-road water is extremely dangerous. It can cause your vehicle to aquaplane, meaning the tyres lose traction with the road surface, rendering your steering useless until contact is made again between your tyres and a drier road surface.
Crossing fords
That’s right, the only car manufacturer to feature on a UK road sign is, in its original sense, a stretch of road over which a body of water, like a river or stream, passes. There are more than 2,000 in the UK which makes meeting one, even for the modest traveller, very likely.
As with the previous flood advice, such as driving slowly and carefully assessing the water’s depth (this can change from one day to another) check your brakes after crossing a ford to make sure they are free of water, which would limit their responsiveness.
In any instance, don’t cross a ford if you don’t think it is safe; it only takes one foot (around 30 centimetres) of flowing water to noticeably move your car – and two feet, or 60 centimetres, can carry it away.
Most importantly, if your vehicle is stopped by floodwater, you should stay in the car and await rescue rather than leave it to seek help – it only takes 15cm of fast-flowing water flowing to knock you off your feet!
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