Flooding — Utah Permit Test

Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing loss of control or possible stalling.

Half a foot looks like nothing from the driver’s seat, and it is enough to float the car off its tires.

Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing loss of control or possible stalling.

Two feet of moving water can carry away most vehicles, including sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks.

A large vehicle is not a safe one here. Two feet of moving water weighs more than the truck it is pushing.

Two feet of moving water can carry away most vehicles, including sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks.

A driver who sees a flooded roadway ahead should turn around and find another route.

Nobody can see what the water has done to the road under it. The only safe assumption is that it is gone.

If you see a flooded roadway ahead, turn around and find another route to get to your destination.

A driver should not attempt to cross a flooded roadway even where the water appears shallow, because water can hide dips and floodwaters can wash away the underlying road surface.

The water is hiding the road, not covering it. What looks like six inches can be a hole the whole car goes into.

Water can hide dips, or worse, floodwaters can damage roadways by washing away the underlying road surface.

Where there is no other route past floodwater, a driver should proceed to higher ground and wait for the waters to subside.

Waiting on high ground is the only remaining option, and flash floods drop as fast as they rise.

If there is no other route, proceed to higher ground and wait for the waters to subside.

How much water reaches the bottom of most passenger cars?

Six inches. Half a foot looks like nothing from the driver’s seat, and it is enough to float the car off its tires. Utah Driver Handbook 2026-2027, p.58: “Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing loss of control or possible stalling.”