If it is flooded, forget it

The lights at the Mary Street intersection in the 2022 Gympie Floods.

Gympie residents are to be reminded of the dangers of driving through floodwater in the latest advertising series for the If It’s Flooded, Forget It program.

New ads are being rolled out through the If It’s Flooded, Forget It program, highlighting the dangers of driving through floodwater.

The campaign, ‘Your Car Can’t Protect You From Floodwater’, focuses on key vehicle safety issues related to floodwater entry.

A 2022 Queensland Police Service report showed approximately one-third of fatal floodwater crashes resulted from drivers entering floodwater by accident.

It identified a need to educate drivers on the dangers of floodwater and the susceptibility of modern vehicles to fail when driving in water and that is the point the new campaign is based on.

Shot in the style of a sophisticated car ad, the new video features a couple who come upon floodwater while driving and quickly realise their car’s performance features won’t save them.

The extensive campaign, including television and radio advertising, billboards, and digital materials, will run until 31 March 2024, with extensive information, advice and tips to also feature on the Queensland Government’s Get Ready Queensland website.

“While our cars are designed to keep us safe on the road, once you enter water it’s a different story.” said Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) CEO Major General Jake Ellwood (Rtd).

““It’s vital Queenslanders keep an eye on weather and traffic alerts and reassess if they need to be

on the road during wet weather events.”

To view the ad and learn more about the dangers of driving in floodwater visit www.getready.qld.gov.au/floodedforgetit.