Look out! Water ahead By: Goh Mei Yi
Published:
January 14, 2006
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Minor flooding can happen in low-lying areas if there is continuous heavy rain over a few days, or if drains overflow. Motorists should arm themselves with knowledge of what to do in a potential flood situation, rather than finding out the hard way!
1. Delay your journey during a storm if you can do so.
2. Plan your route to avoid flood-prone areas if possible. The list of low-lying areas jointly issued by Public Utilities Board and National Environment Agency includes:
Chinatown/ City area
Mosque Street, Pagoda Street, Temple Street, Trengganu Street, Upper Pickering Street (between South Bridge Road and New Bridge Road), South Bridge Road, Upper Hokien Street (between South Bridge Road and New Bridge Road), Chulia Street (beside UOB Plaza), Circular Road and McCallum Street / Boon Tat Link.
Tanjong Katong area
Dakota Crescent, Meyer Place, Meyer Road, Dunman Road, Fort Road, Rose Lane and Stadium Road
Geylang area
Guillemard Road (between Lor 26 to 32 Geylang), Lor 4 to Lor 22, Geylang, Lor 101 to 106, Changi Road and Langsat Road
Area off Jalan Besar (between Weld Road and Kitchener Road)
Lorong Buangkok
3. Listen to traffic announcements on the radio to find out the latest road situations.
4. Drive slowly through water to create a small bow wave in front of the car. Driving fast may be dangerous to other road users.
5. Drive at a speed that matches the visibility, traffic and road conditions. Remember that you require a longer braking distance on a wet and slippery surface.
6. Do not drive straight into the water if you do not know how deep it is.
7. Shift gears smoothly in manual cars and stay in the highest gear possible. Never use cruise control or put the car in neutral gear. Keep your car in control.
8. Dry your brakes by gently applying pressure to the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time when driving through water.
9. Ease off the brakes and reapply gently if you feel the wheels locking up when braking. But if your car has an anti-lock brake system (ABS), you can step on the brakes as hard as you want. If you feel a pulsating sensation from the brake pedal, do not panic – it is the system at work, preventing wheel lockup so you can steer past obstacles.
10. Park your car on higher ground if you can. Choose the higher levels of a multi-storey carpark instead of the basement.
CARS
