Police Scotland issue chilling photo to warn drivers about standing water danger

Police Scotland have warned of the dangers of driving through standing water as severe weather and flood warnings are in place across the country.

Police Scotland have issued a warning about the dangers of driving through standing water.

It comes following crashes which have seen cars written off after they aquaplaned on roads affected by recent heavy rains.

Road Policing Scotland tweeted a picture of two cars which were involved in a crash near Livingston, West Lothian.

They wrote, "[Police] attended a 2 car RTC at the weekend which highlights risks caused by standing water. Everyone ok, but both written off and lucky escapes for all.

"Slow down in heavy rain. If you start to aquaplane, come off the accelerator and only brake once your tyres have grip."

One user also highlighted the risks of using cruise control while driving on wet roads. Helen Thomson pointed out that if a car is aquaplaning while cruise control is in use, the accelerator will be applied.

The advice from the AA for drivers on wet roads is to try and avoid standing water wherever you can.

The group's website adds that, when encountering standing water, "your tyres can lose contact with the road, causing you to lose steering control – called aquaplaning. If you feel it happening, hold the steering lightly and lift off to slow down gently until your tyres grip again."

Drivers should also leave twice as much space between cars when the conditions are wet.