You may be driving through a flooded street hoping to escape the combined mayhem of congested traffic or zero visibility, only to realize that your brakes failed to work thereafter. Should you be concerned?

To begin, it's important to understand that brakes operate on the principle of friction. The idea is the same whether your car has brand new disc brakes or old drum brakes.

Simply put, when you step on a car’s brake pedal, the brake shoe or brake pad presses on the wheel hub's moving drum or disc. The friction created by the contact effectively slows the spinning motion of the wheels, lowering the vehicle's speed.

The entire procedure only works if both of the surfaces are dry. The friction created by the two tough surfaces brushing against one another is reduced when water is added to the mix. When this occurs, the brakes lose their effectiveness in slowing and stopping the car.

When you accelerate rapidly after having your car cleaned or after driving past some flooded areas, your vehicle's stopping strength is likely to be reduced, placing you and other drivers in danger.

Brake disc wipes are now standard on a large number of autos. When your windshield wipers are turned on, these anti-lock brakes will apply gentle pressure onto the brake pads at regular intervals, eliminating any accumulated water on your brakes without slowing down the car.

If your automobile doesn't have this function, you should manually dry your brakes after driving in a flood by gently but steadily applying some pressure to the brake pedals while maintaining low gear. You should also avoid slamming on the brakes because other drivers behind you may respond in kind, and you could be involved in some rear-end collision.