2 hours ago
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Every driver is guilty of giving in to the urge to drive through a puddle at least once on the road, and with all the rain that has been hitting Sydney lately, there are plenty to splash through.
However, there are several reasons why it might be best to avoid them instead of splashing straight through them. These range from car damage to putting yourself at risk and possibly even being illegal.
This is why you shouldn't drive through puddles.
Can driving through a big puddle damage your car?
Yes, driving through a puddle can cause extensive mechanical and cosmetic damage to your vehicle. These are a few examples of what can happen to your car.
Driving through big puddles can cause damage to your car if the water gets into the wrong spots. Cars are only waterproof to an extent, and if it's a deep puddle, it can cause engine damage.
Oil and petrol have many lubricating properties because your engine has tight tolerances, with metal rubbing against other alloys.
Driving through a puddle could allow large volumes of water to enter the engine through the airbox and intake side. While a small amount of water is usually fine and will just be spat out the exhaust port, consistent exposure can cause parts to wear out faster, and large volumes of water could hydrolock.
Starting with the less sinister, constant water exposure can cause water to emulsify with the oil – thinning it out and causing things like crank bearing, piston ring, cylinder wall and cam bearing wear. If you can catch it early enough, your car will most likely be fine, but leaving the contaminated oil in the engine can put you up for a whole new engine.
Then there is the issue of hydrolock. When water gets into the cylinder of your engine, it can prevent the piston from completing its stroke. If the engine is already running when the water enters, it can cause bent connecting rods, damaged cylinders, a cracked cylinder head, and other components requiring the whole engine to be scrapped.
Water could also enter the electrical system, which can be difficult to diagnose and expensive to fix. Water could also enter your differential and gearbox, which will cause premature wear. Not to mention that something hiding in the water could damage your vehicle cosmetically.
Is it dangerous to drive through a puddle?
Not only will driving through big puddles cause damage to your car, but it can also catch you out and seriously injure someone. You have a number of risks to dodge when it comes to hitting standing water.
Hydroplaning occurs when water builds up on the road, causing the tyre to lose contact with the road and skip across the water like a stone.
You can also experience a partial hydroplane when only part of the tyre is subjected to this phenomenon; the steering becomes light and the car begins to veer off the road.
If your car has particularly small and narrow wheels, it can cause the steering wheel to be yanked out of your hands and cause you to veer off the road.
You never know how deep the water actually is
Sure, that puddle on the side of the road may look small or shallow, but it may be hiding something.
Standing water will often gather at a low point in the road, hiding a deep pothole. Hitting this could buckle your wheel, bend your lower control arm, or even crack your suspension towers, leaving you with thousands of dollars worth of damage.
There's also the chance that the 'shallow' water covering the road is moving flood water that could drag you and your car in.
According to the National Road Safety Partnership Program at Monash University, driving into flood water causes 43 per cent of all flood fatalities.
"According to rescue services, floodwater is often deeper and faster flowing than what it seems to be, and may contain chemicals, debris and even animals that could cause illness and even death," says the NRSPP fact sheet.
"Drivers with no prior flooding experience have been found to be more likely to underestimate the risks of driving into floodwater."
Is it illegal to drive through puddles?
There are no specific laws or rules prohibiting motorists from driving through puddles and flood water, but there are a few things you could be charged with in the event of an accident.
New South Wales previously had a law that was repealed – Regulation 291-3 of the Road Rules 2008 – which said, "A driver must take due care, by slowing down or stopping the driver's vehicle if necessary, not to splash mud on any person in or on a bus, or any person entering or leaving any stationary bus, or any person waiting at any bus stop".
The fine was up to $2200, but it is no longer in effect.
If you have an accident because you purposefully drove through a puddle or ignored flood water signs, you could receive a fine for negligent driving, which can get you up to a $3300 fine and loss of licence in NSW, and $6192 and loss of licence in Queensland.
This could also be classified as "driving without due care" in South Australia, which could result in a $2500 fine and three demerit points.
More importantly, driving into water could cost you your life, so leaving that puddle alone the next time you see one may be best.
Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
