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New Austroads report addresses Australian floodway safety hazards

New research released in April indicates that the vast majority of designated floodways in Australia have flaws that may impair driver safety when crossing during floods.

The Safety Provisions for Floodways Over Roads report released by Austroads has found that a large proportion of Australian floodways are not to the required design, and have inappropriate signage and depth gauges that may provide inaccurate information.

The report found that many of the approximately 20,000 floodways in Australia and New Zealand have not been constructed with appropriate drainage elements and lack warning signs, water depth gauges and other safety measures that deter drivers from crossing a floodway when flooded.

A lack of reliable records on floodway incidents in crash databases also impairs the assessment of floodways safety measures.

The report suggested that the safety concerns be addressed and that new technology and devices such as a yellow flashing beacon/message signs be trialled to warn drivers when a roadway may be too dangerous to cross.

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