If you must drive through deep puddles or flowing water, what can help keep your brakes working?

When driving through deep puddles or flowing water, gently applying the brakes while navigating the water helps by keeping the brake components dry and functioning effectively. This action prevents the brakes from being submerged and losing their effectiveness due to water contamination. By gently applying the brakes, the friction created helps to evaporate moisture and keep the brakes at an operational temperature, thus maintaining their responsiveness when you need them after exiting the water.

Other methods, such as applying hard pressure on both the accelerator and brake simultaneously, can lead to inconsistent braking performance or create a hazard by increasing vehicle speed when braking is necessary. In addition, turning on brake heaters would be ineffective in most situations, as they are typically found in specialized vehicles and not standard trucks. Swerving to avoid water completely, while a good strategy if possible, may not always be feasible in tight spaces or heavy traffic, so being prepared to manage brake functionality in water is crucial.