What should I do if my car is soaked in water or washed away? This article explains it all, save it now!

The recent heavy rains and floods are worrying.

At the same time, many videos of cars being flooded or swept away by floodwaters appeared online. Many people were worried about the safety of the trapped people, and also had many practical questions: What should I do if my car is flooded? What should I do if my license plate is washed away?

Today I will talk to you about these issues.

The picture is taken from a netizen video

What should I do if my car is flooded while I am driving?

If you encounter flooding while driving and the water quickly submerges the car, it is recommended to follow the following steps:

1. Turn off the flame immediately

If you find that the water level is getting higher and higher while driving, and it is still rising above the logo on the wheel, it may be very dangerous. At this time, please turn off the engine immediately, get out of the car as quickly as possible, and quickly go to a nearby high ground.

It should be noted that you should not jump suddenly when getting off the car, because there may be sharp foreign objects in the water. If the water is too deep or the current is too fast and you cannot walk, you can climb onto the roof of the car to take shelter temporarily and wait for rescue.

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2. Escape from the back door

Generally, the engine of a family car is located at the front of the car, so the front of the car is heavier and will sink faster. At this time, the air inside the car is concentrated in the rear of the car and transferred to the rear seats as much as possible, so that more time can be spent to escape from the rear door.

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3. Knock on the window corner to escape

If the car door cannot be opened due to circuit failure caused by water immersion, or the water level reaches above the bottom edge of the car window glass, the car door will also be difficult to open due to water pressure. At this time, you can remove the seat headrest and use the sharp end to hit the corners of the car window glass. Remember not to hit the center of the glass. However, this operation requires a certain amount of strength and skills. Friends who have the conditions can practice it during daily safety training. It is best to prepare an emergency escape hammer in the car in case of emergency .

4 Take a breath before breaking the window

Take a deep breath before breaking the window to prevent yourself from being choked by water pouring in .

5. Stay calm after escaping and look for large floating objects

When a car is swept away by a rapid, as long as the car doors and windows are closed, it will not sink immediately and the water will still cover the head for a while. At this time, you must stay calm and try not to open the door or break the window in the rapid, as the rapid may sweep you away.

After getting out of the car, try to find shelter in surrounding houses, high walls and other solid buildings, but be careful to stay away from live electric poles, iron towers, etc., and do not climb onto the roof of a mud house. If there is no place to hide, because the car will not sink immediately, you can climb onto the roof to take shelter temporarily, or hold onto wooden tables and chairs, large pieces of foam plastic and other floating materials to avoid drowning.

My car is flooded, what should I do?

If you find that your car is flooded by heavy rain, it is recommended that you do the following:

1. Don’t try to light a fire

Carefully observe whether the vehicle's engine/motor is flooded. If there are signs of flooding, do not try to ignite the engine, because the vehicle damage caused by ignition at this time may not be compensated. If you are not sure, you can contact the automobile roadside assistance company to send a professional tow truck to send your car to the repair shop for inspection.

2. Contact the insurance company

If your vehicle is flooded, notify the insurance company as soon as possible while ensuring safety. Generally, the insurance company will arrange a professional tow truck to take your vehicle to the repair shop and conduct damage assessment, repair and claims settlement, etc.

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3. Send to repair shop for inspection

Even if the vehicle can start and drive normally, it is best to send it to a repair shop for inspection as soon as possible. This is because some parts of the vehicle may be well sealed after being soaked in water. Long-term accumulation of water in the parts may cause metal parts to rust, rubber to age faster, or floor mats to mold and produce odors, which may affect the service life of the vehicle.

4. If your car is washed away, report it to the traffic police

If your car is washed away by a flood and you cannot find it after the water recedes, you should report the incident to the traffic police immediately and keep a record of the report. Then contact the insurance company to confirm whether you have purchased the corresponding insurance, how to claim compensation, etc., and then go to the traffic management department and the insurance company to handle related business.

My license plate was washed away by water, what should I do?

Many friends may have encountered similar problems. When driving through water, the license plate was washed away. In this case, we can do the following:

1. Call the police immediately

It is best to call the police as soon as possible and go to the local police station to file a case after the weather improves. This can avoid unnecessary losses caused by someone else's misusing the license before the license is reissued.

2. Replacement of license plate

Bring your ID and documents to the vehicle management office to reissue your license plate. You can consult the local vehicle management department for the materials you need to bring. Motor vehicles with non-local license plates may need to be reissued at the place where the license plate is registered. It is recommended to consult the local vehicle management department.

3. Hang a temporary license plate

It may take 3 to 5 working days to reissue a license plate. The vehicle management office will issue a temporary license plate, during which time the vehicle must be driven with the temporary license plate.

4. Submit remaining or damaged license plates

If only one piece of the license plate is damaged or lost, the remaining part must be handed in to the vehicle management department when you apply for a replacement license plate.

5. If you find a license plate, give it to the police immediately

If you find someone else's license plate, you should immediately hand it over to the police. Don't try to put it on your own car . Putting someone else's license plate on your own car is considered a forgery of a motor vehicle license plate, which will result in the vehicle being detained, the driver being detained for up to 15 days, and a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 yuan. If the circumstances are serious and constitute a traffic accident or crime, the person will be held criminally liable in accordance with the law.

Finally, the rain is merciless, I hope everyone can survive the flood season safely .

References

[1] Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China

[2] JTG B01-2014 “Technical Standards for Highway Engineering”

[3] “Regulations on Motor Vehicle Registration” (Ministry of Public Security Decree No. 124)

[4] Wang Chang, Shang Junya, “Experimental study on the effect of different light penetration on driving safety in rainy and foggy weather”, Science Technology and Engineering, 2017.10

[5] Zhang Haiquan, Southeast University, 2016.

[6] Zhang Hui, Qingdao University of Technology, 2018.

[7] “How to deal with a car after it is soaked in water”, Automobile Repair and Maintenance, July 2013

[8] “What to do when driving in flooded water”, Li Xiaodong, Farmers’ Advisor, April 2006

[9] “How deep is the car safe to wade in water”, Wei Junqiang, Trade Union Expo, 2019.2

[10] “Heavy rain causes damage to cars, where do flooded cars go?” Liu Huanyu, 202108

Author: Erzhu Popular Science Creator