Johannesburg - Chairperson of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA), Dewald Ranft, cautioned motorists about the severe weather conditions, suggesting basic rules to follow to help negotiate your way to the safest route out in floods.
Ranft says water levels can rise very quickly in heavy rain, turning roads into rivers and leaving motorists suddenly confronted with a dangerous situation.
Following the inclement weather conditions that have battered some parts of the country, leaving many without homes, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a National State of Disaster.
According to the presidency, the decision is to encourage an intensive, coordinated response to floods impacting the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, and North West provinces.
The continued heavy downpours have ravaged homes, businesses, basic infrastructure, roads, and bridges and affected crops, livestock, and other valuables.
As a result, scores of people could not salvage some of their belongings from their wrecked homes.
Earlier this week, Kruger National Park, located in Mpumalanga, revealed that various parts of the park are expected to receive more rain in the coming week (February 13–17, 2023) and that something has led to park management to temporarily closing some of the remote camps and evacuating staff members to safer camps until the situation improves.
"Even 20 cm of water can damage electronic and mechanical components on a vehicle, and as little as 60 cm of moving water can sweep a car away. There are some basic rules to follow to help negotiate your way to the safest route out of these situations," says Ranft.
He further shares tips for driving in flash flood conditions:
1. Put your headlights and hazard lights on so your car is visible.
2. Alert your family members and friends to the situation and send them your live location.
3. If you can, turn around and drive away from the flooded area.
4. If you have to go through the water, try to gauge the depth by watching other vehicles negotiate the stretch of water. Do not go through water that appears to be 20 cm or deeper.
5. If you have to drive through the water, proceed as slowly as possible in first gear with both hands on the steering wheel. The water being traversed should form a bow wave in front of your vehicle to minimize water ingress into the engine compartment, where sensitive electronic and mechanical components are located.
6. Be especially cautious at night or when visibility is low, as it will be harder to see flooding ahead.
The Star