Driving in Floods and Flood Damaged Cars - By: Traderdog

Remember the three ‘D’s’ here. Deceptive, Dangerous and Deadly.

Therefore when driving in such conditions extreme caution is necessary. The best advice is common sense must prevail. If it is possible to avoid a journey then do so.

If you must drive, switch your headlights on because in stormy conditions light is usually poor. If you do not do so this it is both inconsiderate and fool-hardy. A motorist driving without switching on not only increases their risk of accidents, but is also likely to involve some unsuspecting, innocent soul. See and be seen!

Flooding is normally rapid and often without very little prior warning. Driving in these conditions is therefore likely to be more dangerous than driving in snow or fog. None are recommended, therefore avoid if possible.

In today’s modern world, floods are now more likely to form because of increased development on flood plains, which have always been there for a purpose – to ease flooding. Just try telling planners that simple fact! Money speaks all languages. It is an odd but strange fact that the City of Hull is built on a flood plain.

When a large amount of rain falls over a short period of time, the likelihood of ditches, rivers and lakes becoming filled with water and overflowing into low-lying or poorly drained areas is increased.

When driving, even through reasonably shallow waters - you will not know what is hidden below the water line. Pot-holes, debris - both of which could throw you off course.

The main types of flooding are River floods. These occur when the volume of water rapidly increases and the channels cannot cope and overflow. The addition of floating, broken branches and other debris (even abandoned cars) all make the situation worse by impeding the flow of rushing water. Therefore water goes where it can, when it can. Rivers to not sound alarm bells or ask permission - water in great volumes just flows ahead until it can go no further.

The next is Coastal flooding which occurs when coastal areas of land become inundated with sea water either through lack of sea defences or inadequate defences. The result can be deadly with the erosion causing cliffs to fall with impending damage to coastal properties. In some parts of the UK consideration is being given to allow the sea water free passage into inland areas. The rights and wrongs of this cannot be discussed here.

Urban flooding is now on the increase because of the flood plains that are being built on and an increased area being concreted or covered in tarmac. In many cases little thought appears to have been given to this yearly event of rain in large amounts. In addition, many houses now have decked areas in the back gardens and the front gardens have been concreted to prove hard standing for the car. Whereas water was able to soak into the land and drain away naturally, this is now becoming impossible. All these events, when taken as a whole, lead to more and more urban flooding.

Flash flooding. This situation occurs when a sudden downpour of rain is channelled rapidly into a given area where no instant outlet is available. These situations are difficult to avoid. In addition, because of cut backs in local Council services, some drains are not being regularly inspected, leading to clogging and more flooding. This in turn makes even more demands on Council services – a vicious circle.

The best advice is if you must drive, then drive with extreme caution. If you can - stay at home and protect your house!

One unfortunate by-product of flooding is the sale of flood damaged cars.
How can you tell if a car has sustained damage in a flood? There are several obvious signs to look for.
Amongst these are

if there is debris or grass under the frame or

around the suspension or in or around the radiator,

waterlines in door pockets, interior trim, and the boot

even the engine compartment.

There may also be signs of rust on the inside of the vehicle, such as

on the bolts of the seat-belt anchor,

wires may be corroded,

the terminals may have a chalky white or green substance apparent, or

or worse still,

there may be rust apparent.

A wise move would be to check the registration of the car for previous damage reports. This can now be done on-line.

You may not live in a recently flooded area, but cars will still mysteriously appear when the owner wants to off-load his vehicle on an unsuspecting buyer.

One of the surest ways of avoiding being 'caught' with a flood-damaged vehicle is not to buy from a newspaper advert or someone that is not known to you. Instead, pick a reputable dealer in your area that you know and can trust and who has a good reputation to defend.

To find out more about driving in various conditions and motoring in general, go to http://www.save-money-guide.com

About the Author

Traderdog is an experienced author and her web site is http://www.save-money-guide.com where all aspects of saving and making money are explored.

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