How to Drive Through a Flooded Area

Before approaching the flooded road with your vehicle, decrease your speed or stop completely.

As you are slowing down or stopping before the flooded road, turn on your hazard lights for indication and visualize the area of the flooded road and see if it is not very deep, depending of your vehicle type. Ensure your vehicle has sufficient weight so it would not float during the flood.^[1]

After checking all of the main aspects, now while the hazard lights are still on, turn off the air conditioning (AC) if possible in your vehicle so that the fan in the engine compartment would not be damaged by the flow of the flood water you are driving. And put the gear of your vehicle to the highest, for manual transmission put it to (1) and for automatic transmission put it to (+ -) and put it the (1) or first gear.^[2]

Now all of those are applied, drive slowly through the flood while you can open a bit of your vehicle windows for air circulation if possible and drive carefully. Remember to keep the throttle/acceleration in balance and high and it is normal to growl the engine in a flood so that flood water won't enter the engine through the exhaust pipe at the rear of your vehicle and while driving, also press and maintain with the clutch for M/T so that the engine would not shut down.^[3]

Don't stop in the middle of the flooded road especially if the flood is deep otherwise water would damage the engine of your vehicle. And while driving, visualize the area around you especially the front and check the mirrors too.

As your vehicle is approaching to the high level of the road, the flood water decreases and you can speed up your vehicle carefully. It is recommended to check your vehicle after driving through the flood.

If your car shuts down after or during the flood, stay calm and ask for help. And contact the technician of your car and do not panic. If you are able to fix it yourself, check the carburetor and other engine compartments in your vehicle.^[4]