Lately, the weather has been unpredictable. Sometimes it's scorching hot, but suddenly it can turn into heavy rain accompanied by strong winds. These conditions often lead to waterlogged roads, often turning into floods. As a driver, it's very important to be able to read the situation, especially if you have to break through puddles.

The question is, how high is a puddle that is still safe for cars to pass through? Before jumping in, we need to know that there are many parts of the car that are prone to water ingress when driving through floods. For example, the exhaust, gas tank, the bottom of the door, and the engine air duct.

If water gets into these parts, the impact can be serious. Starting from rust, electrical short circuit, to serious damage to the engine. So as much as possible, keep these important components dry even if you have to drive in the middle of a puddle.

As a reference, it's still relatively safe to drive if the water level is no more than halfway up your wheels. When driving, use a low gear and keep the speed slow, following the water flow of the vehicle in front.

Make sure to keep a safe distance from other cars and keep the engine rotation low so that water is not sucked into the combustion chamber. After passing through the puddle, don't immediately step on the gas - test the brakes first by pressing them several times while still walking slowly, so that the pads and braking system dry quickly and return to normal.

If the road conditions really don't allow it, it's better to find another flood-free route. The important thing is to keep safety in mind when driving!

Indonesia

Akhir-akhir ini cuaca memang sulit ditebak. Kadang panas menyengat, tapi tiba-tiba bisa berubah jadi hujan deras disertai angin kencang. Kondisi seperti ini sering bikin jalanan tergenang air, bahkan tak jarang berubah jadi banjir. Sebagai pengemudi, penting banget buat pintar membaca situasi, apalagi kalau harus menerobos genangan.

Pertanyaannya, seberapa tinggi genangan air yang masih aman dilewati mobil? Sebelum nekat 'nyebur', kita perlu tahu dulu bahwa ada banyak bagian mobil yang rawan kemasukan air saat melewati banjir. Contohnya, knalpot, tangki bensin, bagian bawah pintu, sampai ke saluran udara mesin.

Kalau air sampai masuk ke bagian-bagian itu, dampaknya bisa gawat. Mulai dari karatan, korsleting listrik, sampai kerusakan serius pada mesin. Jadi sebisa mungkin, jaga komponen-komponen penting ini tetap kering meski terpaksa harus melaju di tengah genangan.

Sebagai acuan, mobil masih relatif aman melintas kalau ketinggian air nggak lebih dari setengah roda. Saat melaju, gunakan gigi rendah dan jaga kecepatan tetap pelan, ikuti arus air dari kendaraan di depan.

Pastikan juga jaga jarak aman dengan mobil lain dan tahan putaran mesin tetap rendah supaya air nggak tersedot masuk ke ruang bakar. Setelah berhasil melewati genangan, jangan langsung tancap gas—tes dulu rem mobil dengan menekannya beberapa kali sambil tetap berjalan pelan, biar kampas dan sistem pengereman cepat kering dan kembali normal.

Kalau kondisi jalan benar-benar nggak memungkinkan, lebih baik cari rute lain yang bebas banjir. Yang penting, tetap utamakan keselamatan dalam mengemudi, ya!