Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Caring for your house and family aren't the only safety precautions you should take during a storm or natural disaster. You can also follow steps to maintain the safety of your vehicle.

Bubbas Exotic Motorsports, located in south Florida and "ground zero" for many hurricanes, offers these Top 10
safety tips.

NEVER drive into floods. Even if you think you know the road on which you are traveling from many years of use: Don’t do it! Less than a foot of water can render a vehicle inoperable. Once the vehicle is dead, the undercurrent of the swiftly moving water is enough to easily take control of the vehicle and sweep it away. Water taken into a vehicle's air intake on a flooded road is sucked into the engine and that will immediately cause the vehicle to stop running and you are stuck. The same applies for trucks. Some manufactures put the important electronic control modules or brains under the back seats. If water gets into the interior of the vehicle, the electronics can immediately fail and you are stuck. Avoid driving through floods.

Make sure your vehicle is fueled up and keep a couple extra cans of gas or diesel on board. Never let your vehicle sit and idle in a puddle of water that reaches the exhaust system as it can allow concentrated deadly fumes to enter the passenger compartment. And remember, it's not the odors you can smell that are dangerous, it's the ones you can't smell.

Park your vehicle in a well-covered area like a garage at home or a parking garage. Never park under trees or power lines for the obvious reasons.

Ensure all your documents like the registration, proof of insurance, etc. are sealed in a waterproof zip lock bag.

Prior to the arrival of the storm, check to make sure all the fluid levels are good in your vehicle and most importantly your windshield wipers are clearing the windshield properly and not streaking because they are old and worn out.

Before the storm hits, make sure all tire pressures are set properly. This plays a big role in your vehicle tire ability to displace water from the tread patterns on wet roads and provides for optimal handling during these conditions.

Ensure your vehicle is equipped with a First Aid kit and keep dry clothes in the trunk. Include some money in a waterproof zip lock bag and a spare cell phone charger.

If your vehicle is to be left outside, use duct tape and make a criss cross style pattern across all the windows to protect you if you are in the vehicle and the windows shatter.

Take pictures of your vehicle before the storm so in the event any damage occurs you have proof for your insurance company.

Finally, stay safe! If your gut tells you not to drive, don’t! There is nothing worth risking your life or the lives of others. The storm will pass and you will soon be out and about again.

Source: Bubbas Exotic Motorsports

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