The Safer Cornwall Partnership* (Safer Cornwall) has launched a new multi-agency campaign to warn drivers of the dangers of driving through floodwater.
‘Turn Around Don’t Drown’ (TADD) aims to raise awareness of how dangerous floodwater can be, with a stark reminder that it takes as little as 60cm of standing water to float a car and under 30cm of flowing water to push a car off the road.
Drivers are being warned that even if the water does not appear to be very deep, the road surface below could be damaged; flooding often causes damage to the layer below the tarmac resulting in the road collapsing when the weight of a vehicle passes over it.
Fire Fighter Andy Reynolds, campaign coordinator, said: “Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service saw a 400% increase in flood calls in 2012/13. We hope that this campaign will raise awareness of the dangers encountered when driving or walking in floodwater.”
Tamsin Ferris, Cornwall Council’s RSO, said: “Surface and flood water can pose a serious road safety risk. I would encourage drivers to ensure they adjust their driving according to the conditions, always making sure their lights are on and they slow down in bad weather.”
Des Tidbury, chair of Safer Cornwall, said: “This partnership approach will raise awareness and demonstrate that we are all working together to tackle road safety issues in Cornwall.”
Contact Tamsin Ferris for more information.
*FOOTNOTE: The Safer Cornwall Partnership is a collaborative group of public, private and voluntary organisations working to improve community safety in Cornwall. It comprises Cornwall Council, Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon & Cornwall Probation Trust, Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service, and Cornwall & Isles of Scilly NHS.
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