The vehicle financing company Select Car Leasing has warned motorists to choose their routes carefully
to prevent causing eye-watering levels of damage to their car.
With many parts of the UK experiencing spells of wet weather over the weekend, many roads,
particularly in the countryside, are flooded.
Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing, highlighted that most insurance companies
will not pay out if a car was damaged when a driver travels through flood water on purpose.
He explained: "While insurance companies are likely to pay out for unavoidable damage to cars
caused by rising floodwaters, it's another thing when a driver has knowingly taken risks when there
were other route options available. "If you have not taken every precaution to safeguard your car,
and your chosen route was avoidable, an insurance company may refuse to pay out on your claim,
particularly if there's video or photographic evidence highlighting your poor decision-making."
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Whilst it may seem tempting, driving through a flooded section of the road can be a decision that motorists live to regret.
If a driver wishes to consider driving across a section of flooding, they should check the depth of the water, using an item such as a stick. Many motoring experts suggest that they should never drive through flood water that is moving too quickly or that hides the surface of the road.
Motorists who are unsure whether they will be safe travelling through a flooded section of the road should turn around and find a different route.
Graham warned that drivers who try to ford through flood water and damage their vehicle may face bills of more than £1,000 and a long wait for a recovery vehicle.
He added: "Make no mistake, damage caused by flood water can be extreme. If you end up with a 'hydrolocked' engine, where there's so much water in the cylinders that the pistons have seized, you could be looking at a repair bill running to several thousands of pounds - or you may have to replace the engine entirely.
"If your vehicle is too damaged to make it through the stretch of surface water, it can leave your car stranded. To top it all off, depending on the depth of water in which your vehicle is stranded in, a recovery vehicle may not be able to reach your car safely, which could cause further delay and frustration to your day whilst you are waiting for a larger vehicle to arrive."
If the water is deep enough or driven through too quickly, it can enter the engine bay and mix with some of the fluids used by the engine, such as the oil and coolant. This in turn can cause worsened performance and, in some cases, corrosion.
Splashes can also lead to electrical components being damaged, meaning drivers may soon find that the infotainment system, electronic displays or even fundamental components used by the engine are unable to function.
Even in more shallow water, drivers travelling too quickly over roads can also be at risk of aquaplaning, which causes the tyres to lose grip with the road and lead to spinouts.
