Good advice from the Warwickshire Police in this article in the Leamington Spa Courier.
Basically, when driving through puddles and flooded roads which are still passable:
- drive slowly and steadily
- use first gear
- use higher revs and slip the clutch
- leave a large gap between you and the car in front
Water splashing on to electrical components in the car could cause it to cut out, so keeping the engine revving whilst slipping the clutch to keep speed low can avoid this risk. A large gap allows you to take evasive action if the car in front stops.
Most people will know what it’s like when you dive into a swimming pool and land flat. It hurts. Well, driving your car too fast into water has the same effect, on top of which you will create a wave which could soak the engine. It’ll cause you to slow down and the engine could stall – so don’t try and barge through. It just won’t work.
If a sign tells you a road is closed, don’t be a prat and try and get through. It’s closed for a reason.
And don’t immediately accelerate once you’ve gone through water. Test your brakes.