A dana is hitting our country and the State Meteorological Agency warns that heavy rains and storms will continue in the coming hours. The General Directorate of Traffic explains how to act if you are surprised by a flood in the car.
The effects of this dana (isolated depression at high levels) began to be felt from the last hours of yesterday, Tuesday, August 31, when the violent rainfall began in many parts of the Iberian Peninsula.
According to Aemet’s predictions, this situation of meteorological instability will accompany us for the next few hours, and the rains, storms and low temperatures will continue at least until this Friday, September 3, moment in which calm will return.
Today will be the day with the greatest instability in the entire peninsula, and heavy rainfall can cause traffic problems that compromise the safety of drivers.
For this reason, the DGT remember exercise caution, slow down, increase the safety distance and turn on the vehicle’s lights.
Floods are one of the most dangerous problems derived from heavy rainfall. Torrential rains can turn a normally dry riverbed into a dangerous torrent, and if the water floods the road your safety is at risk.
If a flood surprises you when you are behind the wheel, it is very important that you know how to act. The DGT explains what you have to do in the following video:
The first thing you have to do before a flood is to assess the situation and, above all, avoid putting yourself at risk. If the current is strong, the water could have undermined the bottom, so avoid entering areas that are flooded.
Note that, when the water level rises, your car can be washed away based on a series of parameters, such as the weight of the vehicle, the speed of the current, the height of the shallows, the depth of the channel and the slope of the terrain.
With the water mid-wheel, the drive wheels lose grip, making it more difficult to steer the car. But if the water rises higher and exceeds the height of the middle of the wheel, the vehicle will be dragged, so do not expose yourself to that risk.
In case you are driving and you find the road flooded, call 112 to alert the authorities of the problem. Then, turn around cautiously and find an alternative route to get to your destination.
If your car is carried away by the current, stay calm, remove your seat belt and try to get out of the window to stand on the roof of the vehicle. If you can’t roll down the window, break it with a sharp object. If that is not possible, exit through a door that can be opened downwind.
To drive safely during these days of weather instability, put into practice the DGT’s advice for driving safely in the rain.
