driving on flooded roads

[BFG TERRANO]

Several major roads in my area have suffered reasonable floods recently in many areas. This has created, at times some big delays. I'm lost as to why people feel the need to drive bang on the middle of the road through the water? The difference in depth is small and the edge of the road clearly still visible (no foot path or kerb.) All these people have achieved is huge tail backs amongst oncoming traffic sat waiting. Surely the right thing to do is continue on your own side at a reduced speed and increased distance?

[nails1979]

Sometimes you can't be sure how deep it s though. And quite often, at least round my way, the drain covers have lifted and you can't see them, or the local caravaners have had them away and theres a git hole in the road.

[HTP99]

Agree with the OP entirely and it's even more baffling when they are in a 4x4, what's that all about?

[geeks]

You also generally cant see whats at the bottom, debris will collect at the edge of the road that you cant see so driving in the middle helps to avoid this!

[rwstokes]

at the local ford. sorry road, i have taken to going through in second and moving into the middle of the road, but that's because i know how much the road falls away on the edge, and id rather be safe and cause abit of a queue than get stuck and cause alot of a queue.

actually in this case i dont cause any of a queue, as the road has a huge hatched area in the middle, but you get my point

[AllNines]

In properly deep water, it'll be more to do with the bow wave created when you drive through a flood. You don't want a car coming towards you pushing water your way, hence take the central route and control the water yourself.

[BFG TERRANO]

I found the situation similar to a dusting of snow- all common sense instantly disappeared!

[DonkeyApple]

Generally two reasons:

Firstly, debris is likely to be deposited at the point of lowest current, the crown of the road or swept to the edge. So, it makes sense to keep your tyres away from both. You also want to avoid manhole covers which may have been raised.

But secondly, it stops the retard in the other direction from flying in and causing an absolute fking mess or losing control.

It is at the end of the day an obstacle and it is rarely sensible for two vehicles to traverse the same obstacle at the same time.

It's not as if it takes much time and those in a rush are the exact people who should be waiting

[civicduty]

But then yesterday I saw people go completely the other way. Driving through on their side of the road but putting out spray that eclipsed the L/Rover Defender on the other side.

I also saw about 4 cars that required help from tow trucks etc, can't help but think they may have been driving a bit quickly through the flood water.

I for one, having a normal car that isn't a 4x4, slowed down selected First gear and went thorugh at a crawl with no great spray of water, just a gentle bow wave.




Awaits everyone to come along and say first gear is too slow and I was holding up all the other road users.

[BFG TERRANO]

civicduty said:

But then yesterday I saw people go completely the other way. Driving through on their side of the road but putting out spray that eclipsed the L/Rover Defender on the other side.

I also saw about 4 cars that required help from tow trucks etc, can't help but think they may have been driving a bit quickly through the flood water.

I for one, having a normal car that isn't a 4x4, slowed down selected First gear and went thorugh at a crawl with no great spray of water, just a gentle bow wave.




Awaits everyone to come along and say first gear is too slow and I was holding up all the other road users.

Exactly what I did. Albeit slowly but if both directions did this no problem? As it was oncoming traffic was so heavy nobody waited to give others a turn.

[The Black Flash]

Yeah I wondered this once, and went through staying in lane, thinking "bunch of pussies". Got a bit of shock when I hit the manhole cover that had lifted. No damage, fortunately, but it was a hell of a bang. Bit more careful these days.

[anonymous-user]

I've gone through what I thought was a large puddle in my Mini...the water went over the roof. Car survived as I took it at pace and managed to get all the way through.

[TameRacingDriver]

I'll make no apology if I encounter deep water to try and find the shallowest way through it, I don't think dirty water sucked up into the engine through my open air filter will do the engine much good TBH.

[FisiP1]

Seen no end of people pancaking wheels on exposed drains, always avoid the roadside edge of your lane if the road is flooded.

I'm in Provence quite often and its actually incredible how often this happens to tourists there when the monsoon comes, I have seen 3+ cars sat roadside during a flood with their wheels in strange shapes. The local council equivalent refuse to make any effort to put retainers on the drain covers.

[300bhp/ton]

BFG TERRANO said:

Several major roads in my area have suffered reasonable floods recently in many areas. This has created, at times some big delays. I'm lost as to why people feel the need to drive bang on the middle of the road through the water? The difference in depth is small and the edge of the road clearly still visible (no foot path or kerb.) All these people have achieved is huge tail backs amongst oncoming traffic sat waiting. Surely the right thing to do is continue on your own side at a reduced speed and increased distance?

Nope not really as it depends on the car and the exact location.

Some things to consider:

-roads are cambred, so depth can be hugely different. The "flood" I've been driving through is 12" deeper on one side compared to the other and most shallow just off centre but still straddling the while line

-In deep water you can't see the verge/curb, so being further from it is rather sensible

-hidden obstacles. Less chance of hitting something in the middle than the edge when you can't see what you are driving on

-two cars moving in opposite directions could cause waves as the bow waves collide. This could easily cause one of the cars an issue, even more so if you get someone in a lorry/van/4x4 going quickly through the water

[Eighteeteewhy]

TameRacingDriver said:

I'll make no apology if I encounter deep water to try and find the shallowest way through it, I don't think dirty water sucked up into the engine through my open air filter will do the engine much good TBH.

Exactly this.

[Some Gump]

Last big flood I was slowly going through the water (1/2 the height of 18" wheels, roughly). Making progress, no issues. Then some uytter fkwitt in an A4 repmobile plowed through and the bow wave had me steing myself - it went clear over my bonnet and I know 1 of the 2 intakes on my car is at top of the wheel height - and god knows how much it'd be to fix a hydrolocked RS4 lump...

So why would I always go through in the middle now? To avoid non car people hacking through as fast as they can, chucking water direcly into my path. 30s of waiting for him effectively gambled an awful lot of money / heartache risk for me.

[Rakoosh]

There are multiple reasons for driving very slowly and as far away from the edge (yet avoiding and not causing chaos for oncoming cars) - most of which have been covered above but there are also pedestrians to think of!

For example the road near mine - even if you crawl to a standstil if you drive close to the curb you create a wash of water that goes over the pavement - so even though you should not splash a pedestrian (by driving slow) you can still cause the water to go over their feet.

So personally I will try and drive as far from the edge as possible without causing hectic to oncoming cars.

[sjj84]

On the way to Brands Hatch yesterday there were multiple points that were partially flooded, everybody took to the centre of the road to pass, granted the traffic wasn't particularly heavy but it hardly caused any hold up at all. We saw two manhole covers that had lifted and looked like they'd cause a bit of damage if hit. The only car we saw stranded was at the side of the road, indicators flashing, going nowhere surrounded by water.