How to drive a motorbike on flooded urban roads?

Risks always lurk for road users when driving on flooded urban roads, especially for motorbikes, which are not protected like cars. This risk not only causes damage to the vehicle, but also causes casualties for the driver.

If the road is flooded due to storms, it is best not to participate in traffic, because this is the most dangerous time to ride a motorbike on the road. Strong rain and wind make driving on the road not easy even when the road is not flooded.

Driving is much more difficult when the water is high. Storms and strong winds can knock down large trees on the roadside, or blow away corrugated iron sheets, billboards, and tree branches, potentially causing accidents.

When driving in flooded conditions, the vehicle is also very susceptible to stalling, leading to damage. Therefore, unless it is an urgent matter, it is best not to drive a motorbike on the road during floods or storms.

The safest way to drive a motorbike through flooded roads

It is best to stick to familiar roads. Familiarity with the terrain and understanding road conditions, tree stumps and manhole covers will make driving through flooded roads much safer than driving on an unfamiliar road.

When driving on a familiar road, drivers can choose the highest point on the road to reduce flooding, usually in the middle of the road. If driving on an unfamiliar road, they should observe the vehicles moving ahead to choose a safe route.

Look before crossing flooded roads, especially for cars or large buses traveling at high speeds on flooded roads. The water waves from these vehicles can cause motorbikes to lose control or stall immediately. When you feel it is safe, cross the flooded road.

Move at a slow and steady speed, whether it is a manual or automatic vehicle. Sudden acceleration can cause the vehicle to stall immediately, while steady acceleration will cause the vehicle to move slowly but not stall suddenly. Avoid sudden braking, because when you suddenly decelerate, water will quickly flood into the internal parts and cause the engine to stall.

For scooters, it is best not to wade through water deeper than the exhaust pipe. Manual transmission vehicles can wade deeper, but not deeper than the seat, because if water enters the engine's air intake, the vehicle will definitely stall.

For electric vehicles, although electric motorbikes and electric bicycles are advertised as being able to go through flooded areas, it is best not to use electric vehicles for wading. Even if they are carefully wrapped to be waterproof, after a period of use, it is difficult to ensure that the vehicle is water-resistant enough to wade through flooded areas. If there is an electrical short circuit or water ingress, the electric vehicle will need to replace the entire battery system, which is very expensive.

If you are not confident, it is best to find another way, or wait for the water to recede before moving across. Another method that many people often use is to turn off the engine and push the vehicle through the flooded area to ensure the engine is not damaged.

When the car has stalled after wading through flooded roads, it is best not to try to start it, as this can cause further damage to the car.

For manual transmission vehicles, you can remove the spark plug and wipe it dry, and drain the water from the exhaust pipe. These two steps can make the engine work again. Then, do not move immediately, but start the engine, rev the engine, so that the water is released from the engine as well as inside the exhaust pipe. After the engine warms up, the vehicle can operate normally.

If the above two steps are not successful, the vehicle may have water in its electrical system. At this point, you need to find a motorbike repair shop to dry and clean the electrical connections as well as clean the carburetor and change the engine oil.

With scooters, it is best to take them to a repair shop immediately after they have stalled due to flooding. The scooter will need to have its spark plugs cleaned, the engine oil changed, and the electrical system sprayed dry.

Check your car after wading

Even if the car does not stall when wading, rainwater and dirty water still adhere to many parts of the car. It is best to wash the car immediately after wading, ensuring that dirty water is no longer attached to the electrical system, spark plugs, engine area as well as the brake system, to ensure that rainwater does not corrode the above equipment. Check the engine oil for water inside, and replace if necessary.