Driving Through Standing or Still Water

Published on July 04, 2023

Driving through standing water can be costly and dangerous.  Very shallow water can hide hazards from view.  It only takes a few inches of water to hide open manhole covers, deep potholes and washed-away pavement. 

They should not be driven through standing water that will reach the hubcap or wheel. The red line in the picture below shows the maximum water level than can be traversed.  If in doubt, turn around and find an alternate route.

If you are traversing standing water that does not reach the hubcap, drive slowly (less than 5 mph).  As soon as the vehicle is out of the water, test the brakes as they may have become wet.

They should not be driven through standing water that will reach the wheel’s center hub.  The red line in the picture below shows the maximum water level that can be traversed in a heavy-duty truck.  If in doubt, turn around and find an alternate route.  Drive through standing water slowly (less than 5 mph).  As soon as the truck is out of the water, test the brakes as they may have become wet

Even fire and rescue trucks are not designed for deep water rescue.  The operator must determine whether the situation warrants the potential sacrifice of the vehicle.  Similar to a passenger vehicle, if a fire or rescue vehicle is partially submerged it is likely to become plagued with future electrical/mechanical problems due to corrosion.

Electric vehicles should never be driven in standing or rushing water. The salt within the battery or battery components can form conductive bridges that lead to short circuits or self-heating of the battery, resulting in fires. In the event of flooding, EVs can become incredibly dangerous, they store a lot of electricity and can catch fire or cause electrocution. An EV that has been submerged is incredibly dangerous. Do not attempt to drive it or connect it to a charging cable.

Driving through moving water is dangerous.  Vehicles can be swept off the road by fast moving water even if the water is shallow. This often results in a fatality.  Find an alternate route.  Don’t drown-turn around!