Your pupil's driving a car that has manual transmission. What should they do if they have to drive through shallow flood water?
- A Drive slowly, in a high gear and with a low engine speed, slipping the clutch if necessary
- B Drive slowly, in first gear and with a high engine speed, slipping the clutch if necessary
- C Drive as quickly as possible, in a low gear, without slipping the clutch
- D Drive as quickly as possible, in a high gear, slipping the clutch if necessary
Why this is the answer
Drivers should always assess the depth of the water and avoid driving through deep or fast-flowing water. There's a risk that water may stop the engine if it enters the combustion chamber via the air intake, obstructs the exhaust pipe or short-circuits the ignition system. In addition, there's a risk of the vehicle being swept away by fast-flowing water. To drive through shallow water, your pupil should drive slowly, because this will prevent a wave from washing over the engine. To make sure the exhaust pipe does not become flooded, the engine speed should be kept high, which may require them to slip the clutch.
Why the other answers don't fit
- A
- Drive slowly, in a high gear and with a low engine speed, slipping the clutch if necessary — A high gear risks stalling, and a stalled engine in water is hard to restart.
- C
- Drive as quickly as possible, in a low gear, without slipping the clutch — Speed throws a bow wave that pushes water into the engine.
- D
- Drive as quickly as possible, in a high gear, slipping the clutch if necessary — Fast and in a high gear is the worst combination of the four.
Where this comes from
- Driving: the essential skills — section 12
Rule numbers link to The Highway Code on gov.uk.
Where this question comes from
The question, its options and the explanation are reproduced word for word from the DVSA revision question bank under licence. The licence requires them to appear unaltered, so we cannot reword them and neither can anyone else — that is why you will meet the same wording on other sites. Everything else on this page is written by Theory Hub: the explanation of why each wrong answer is wrong, the topic guide and the revision notes.
Asked in: Driving Instructor (ADI Part 1)
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