Stormy conditions and severe weather warnings can include periods of heavy rainfall that may result in flooding. As a road user, you should always take extra care during storm warnings and take precautions to keep both you and your car safe.
Here are some tips to help keep you safe while driving, both during and after periods of heavy rainfall.
1. Plan your route carefully and heed weather warnings
Check road closures around your home due to flooding or other severe weather conditions. Avoid secondary roads that may be more susceptible to flooding than others.
2. If you see a flooded road, do not drive through it
If the road ahead of you is flooded, do not drive through it. Surface water can appear deeper than it seems. If you do drive through it and are forced to stop, this may damage your car.
3. Slow down and maintain a safe distance from other cars
During heavy rain or any severe weather conditions, you should always slow down. Heavy rainfall reduces visibility, and surfaces can become slippery, which will increase the braking distance between you and the car in front.
4. Use your windscreen wipers and turn on your lights
Heavy rainfall during the day can reduce visibility, causing issues for both you and other drivers. Turning on your windscreen wipers and lights makes you more visible to other cars and makes it easier for you to see oncoming cars and pedestrians.
5. Pull in if necessary – where it’s safe to do so
If the weather has severely impacted your visibility, you should pull in and wait for the rain to pass, and then continue your journey when it’s safer to do so.
6. Beware of your car starting to aquaplane, to avoid skidding
Your car can aquaplane when a layer of water builds up between the surface of a wet road and your tyres. If your car starts to aquaplane, it means your tyres are losing their grip on the road, and you may not be able to control your steering, braking or acceleration, which may cause your car to skid.
If you feel your car is starting to skid, try to remain calm and don’t slam your foot on the brakes. Ease your foot off the accelerator and hold your steering wheel in the direction your car is travelling in. When you feel like your car has more grip and control again, you can start to brake to slow yourself down.
What to do if your car has been flood-damaged?
If your car has been damaged by severe weather conditions, please document all the damage. If you need to make a claim, you can do so quickly and easily online, at axa.ie/claim/ or if you’d prefer, you can call our claims team on 0818 7 365 24.
