24/02/2026
It never ceases to amaze me when people are surprised that cars have been carted off downstream in 2ft of water. People are drowning and emergency services risking all to rescue, people who obviously lack any form of survival instinct. Did these people never play in mud and trickles from the water butt, my brothers action man drowned several times a day, Sindy wasnt daft enough to get wet. As kids did anyone make stepping stones and dams in little trickles ? When on holiday played in the streams of water on beaches when the tide went out ?
Now the urban legend says as little as 6" of water will move a car, but if the speed of the water, the sideways force is faster then it much less than 6". Most starter motors and alternators are wet in 6" of water, modern motors have electric doors, windows, locks etc you arent getting out easily. For those who doesn't know, water and electric doesnt mix, electronics go bat-sh*t crazy, in modern motors thats the engine management system, braking, lights, and even brakes in some.
The most important thing to remember is when water violently runs off land, flash floods can destroy roads that are invisible underwater. Fords are usually a flatish road, often slippy and green, sometimes cobbled, with a drop off that becomes impossible to identify. I had a near death experience in the Ford at Cleobury when I was young, on my old motorbike and sidecar, when it decided to identify as a canoe ! Now I had never considered this prior to the event, it was VERY different to my motorbike, I had to lean over until my elbow was in the water to get any traction, and more or less sailed it, rather than drove, it was a very close call.
Delivery vans with drivers that aren't locals, should still understand that they are basically driving a bubble of air, running of tyres filled with compressed air. Lots of articulated lorries have been recovered this year, Lindridge (alongside the River Teme, Witley - Tenbury Road) is notorious, with 23 vehicles sunk a few years ago in one flood.
If - IF - you end up in water unexpectedly, coming round a corner with a choice of hitting hung water or the oncoming vehicle, kind of a situation, you are not driving to the conditions. But, if you hit any water and the engines coughs or dies, do not under any circumstance try and start the engine, its highly likely to be hydro locked. At best the paper air filter is soaked, air doesn't pass through water soaked cardboard, do not waterboard your motor. A mechanic can remove the plugs, turn it over fire the water out, remove the air filter and in most cases save the engine. If you have driven through road closed signs, its highly unlikely you insurance is valid. This is the very expensive way to learn not to drive through unknown water.
