What if they drive into an actual puddle?
I think the most realistic solution is to adjust the code so that the buggy waits for the sponge to dry up before continuing (detects if it's moving too slowly), or code a maneuver that would squeeze out as much water as possible (perhaps a jerky back and forth). Same thing with mud, I feel. Making any kind of mechanical adjustments at this point, without any testing, would (or
should) be viewed as irresponsible by judges of the ASCAN program.