Driving in Water or Floods

It's the stuff of nightmares: You're in your vehicle, in a body of water and you're sinking. Never mind how you got there, it's the getting out that's critical. As in most life-threatening situations, keeping your wits and knowing what to do give you the best chances for survival.


While panic is typically the first reaction of a deluged driver, believe it or not, there's such a thing as being too calm in this situation. As a case in point, a young woman in rural North San Diego County was swept off a culvert river crossing at flood stage. The crossing flooded on a regular basis and it was a badge of honor to at least give it a try. As her compact sedan headed downstream, she blithely tried to steer the vehicle toward the tree-snarled bank. Didn't work.


Once the car was entangled in debris, and began sinking, a rescue squad arrived on scene. With a fireman dangling above the boiling river in a wind-lashed rainstorm, our driver had to retrieve her purse before being plucked off the car. She was lucky and lived to be embarrassed over the incident, but it usually takes more than luck to escape a sinking vehicle. Let's go over some smarter options.

Act-Fast Advice
Of course, the only sure way out of water is to not drive through it in the first place and to avoid potential flood areas once warnings are issued. Given that, an escape involves layers of prompt action, most of which are pure common sense, but as the above example illustrates, common sense can take some odd detours once a car hits the water.


A couple of things that can help you stay calm: First is the knowledge that it takes from two to 10 minutes for a vehicle to become completely submerged, plenty of time to get out. And second, a vehicle that enters the water nose first will usually level out.