Essential things to prepare for your car when going to flood relief

Heavy rains and flash floods following storm No. 3 have caused severe damage to people in the plains and mountainous areas of the Northern region. In addition to the rescue work of the authorities, many volunteer groups are also ready to participate in flood relief with dozens, hundreds of trucks carrying necessities to people in difficulty.

However, to be able to move to those difficult areas, cargo vehicles also need to be prepared and inspected carefully before each trip.

Mr. Do Hoang Trung, owner of PAC Auto Service Center (Hanoi) said: "The first thing to think about when participating in flood relief is that the vehicle must be an SUV or 2-wheel drive pickup truck. If the vehicle only has front or rear wheel drive, it is best not to use it to avoid becoming an accident vehicle while going to rescue."

According to Mr. Trung, if it is a 2-wheel drive vehicle, the owner needs to carefully check the tires, including the spare tire. The spare tire should also be the same size as the main tire.

Because of having to travel to areas with bad terrain conditions, if conditions allow, the car owner should use specialized off-road tires. Meanwhile, checking the brakes will be done by pressing the brakes a few times during the test drive.

Next, the car owner checks the fluids including brake fluid, engine oil, and engine coolant by observing the fluid tanks in the engine compartment. In particular, what many car owners often overlook is the windshield washer fluid. In addition, the car's lighting system and wipers. Because if you move in a situation of limited visibility, this will be very dangerous.

In addition, the engine air filter must also be checked. If the engine air filter is covered with a lot of dust, clean it by spraying off the dirt. However, if the engine air filter shows signs of water seepage, it must be replaced to avoid unnecessary damage to the engine.

Finally, "car owners also need to prepare some rescue tools in case the car breaks down or gets stuck on the road, such as cables, battery jumper cables or a portable battery booster, electric pump, flashlight, and even a life jacket," Mr. Trung emphasized.