https://youtu.be/zxheOM79cdc
This video reminds riders to approach flooded roads with caution as flooding is expected to continue across four eastern states and South Australia over the next few weeks.
The above comical, but serious, video comes from Mumbai, India, where four days of constant rain has flooded many roads.
NSW, Victoria and southern Queensland country is awash after weeks of storms and riders report not only a lot of flooded roads, but also severely damaged roads. Now “cyclonic” storms are set to hit South Australia.
More severe wet weather is also predicted throughout summer which highlights the official caution to all motorists: If it’s flooded, forget it!
Police are fining motorists hundreds of dollars for negligent driving if they attempt to cross flood waters and get stuck, requiring rescue.
Don’t be that idiot who takes their bike out to go playing in flooded waters and ends up losing their bike and forcing emergency services personnel to risk their lives trying to save you.
Water crossings can be enormous fun, but it’s just not worth it when the water crossing is flooded.
You may have crossed this particular crossing before and think that the water is just a little higher than normal. However, there could be a sink hole underneath and you could lose your bike like the Indian rider in the video.
Worse, you could be swept away in the fast-running waters.
Flooded water is unpredictable. Is the level still rising, how fast is the water flowing, is it flowing at different rates in different parts of the crossing, is a sudden surge of more water on its way, is there a hidden deep hole like in the Indian video, what objects have been washed down and are now submerged underneath such as barbed wire?
There are too many unknowns.
One of my water crossing failures was in a low-flooded causeway. I was riding a big Yamaha Super Tenere through on the clear wheel tracks but the water was flowing faster where there was a gap in the weeds upstream.
Even though it was a low level and the bike substantial, the water velocity was enough to push my front wheel slightly off track, into the slime and down I went.
I was lucky not to be swept off the causeway into the fast-running creek.
It was a stupid thing to do and I acknowledge that.
After the storms have passed and the skies turn blue, there will be an enormous temptation to go out and play in the waters.
However, flood waters can take a lot of time to subside, so continue to ride with caution and read our tips for water crossings.