Grand Prairie Ford Inc.

Driving Safely During a Hurricane

Hurricanes named like Irene, Camille, Andrew and Katrina are memorable for the damage they created and leaving major damage, serious flooding and heartbreak in their wake. At Grand Prairie Ford Inc., we have seen the news stories showing hurricanes and we have definitely had our own share of serious weather in Grand Prairie, TX over the years.

For safety's sake, here are some tips that we've come up with to hopefully help you and your family if you ever have to drive in a hurricane or other seriously bad weather.

Don’t ever start a wet engine. If your vehicle is parked in a flooded location, the engine will often cut out in deep water, which can cause serious damage to your motor.

Steer clear of driving through standing water. During most normal storms, puddles are not deep enough to cause havoc. But following a hurricane, puddles can actually conceal cavernous pot holes and tire-puncturing garbage on the road.

Wet brakes are dangerous. After driving through big puddles, lightly apply the brake pedal to dry off your brakes.

Slow down!! A hurricane is a serious matter and slowing down is not suggested--it's a must. Intersections without lights and drivers who are seriously distracted, makes driving more perilous dangerous than ever.

Don’t drive under fallen trees. When trees fall during a hurricane they can sometimes land across power lines. While it may look like a safe situation, don’t do it for any reason. The tree may look stationary, but in reality it could merely be holding the tree in its current position. In addition, power lines may or may not be live. Even if you keep away from driving on power lines, a wind gust can blow one into contact with your car.

Contact your insurance company if the car was damaged by the hurricane. Take photographs of your damaged car and also showing the immediate area around the vehicle, if possible. Acquiring visual evidence of how the damage occurred could possibly help with processing the claim, so carefully document as much as you can.

Watch out for pedestrians. Multiple people might be our walking their  neighborhood to assess damage or check in on neighbors to make sure that they're safe. It seems like common sense, but always be especially careful to watch out for pedestrians after any stormy episode.

Be compassionate to others, be patient, and follow all of the laws and you will be safe while driving in a hurricane or other types of serious weather.

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Sources: AARP, NHTSA and AAA