You should never drive into floodwater – some roads are more deadly than others
This article by Andrew Gissing appeared on The Conversation.
The floods that deluged parts of Victoria over the weekend are the latest in the state’s long history of flooding, following on from major floods in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016. In all such events, emergency services are on standby to rescue motorists who drive into floodwaters and get stuck or washed away – with potentially fatal consequences.
Most of the 178 flood-related deaths since 2000 have been a consequence of motorists driving into floodwaters.
Although there is a growing body of research on the decision-making of people who choose to enter floodwater, little research has been done before now on the factors that make some stretches of road more dangerous than others.
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