AA advice on driving through storms as West Midlands to be deluged
The storms battering the West Midlands has made driving inconvenient at best and harrowing at worst. As standing water and low visibility play havoc with drivers on the roads, the AA’s tips for driving through storms and floodwater are more pertinent than ever.
No doubt drivers across the region will experience those heart-stopping moments of aquaplaning on the motorway or hitting an unexpected puddle of standing water on an a-road. The AA even acknowledges on its website that the weather can make driving “quite perilous at the best of times, often catching out newer drivers or those who don't have any experience with driving in adverse conditions.”
Some of the tips given are to turn your headlights on, with the Highway Code also saying you must use them when visibility is seriously reduced up to less than 100m. They also advise to use fog lights if necessary, but to switch them off when visibility improves.
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Extending following distances are a big aspect to driving in the wet and the AA advises to leave twice as much space between you and the car in front, to account for it taking longer to stop in the wet. They also advise that if your steering feels light due to aquaplaning, ease off the accelerator and slow down gradually.
The AA also says that if the car fails and you break down, don't prop the bonnet open while you wait. Rain-soaked electrics can make it harder to start the engine. If the rain is extremely heavy, consider waiting until it dies down (if you can) or avoid driving altogether.
The AA also advised motorists around how to deal with standing water, saying that motorists should avoid standing water altogether and to follow their advice for doing so “if you feel you have no other option.”
They advise not to drive into flood water that’s moving or more than 10cm (4 inches) deep, let approaching cars pass first, and to drive slowly and steadily (around 3-4 mph) so you don’t make a bow wave. They also advise to keep the car moving through the water and to maintain higher revs while passing through.