Fed up MP floats flood driver fines so people pay for their stupidity

If you’re stupid enough to drive into floodwaters, you should pay for your own rescue, says state MP.

SES crews wade towards an empty car stranded in floodwaters to check it for occupants. Picture: John Grainger

PEOPLE stupid enough to drive into floodwaters and need saving would risk not only their lives, but having to pay emergency services for their rescue.

That’s the proposal from fed-up NSW Parliamentary Secretary and Kiama MP Gareth Ward in the wake of the weekend’s fierce storms which saw more than 300 flood rescues by State Emergency Service workers across the State — an estimated half of them from cars.

Mr Ward has called for fines for ‘people who deliberately and recklessly enter flood waters’.

“I’ve stood at funerals where people have lost their lives because they’ve entered floodwaters, and it’s clear in the wake of last weekend the message isn’t getting through,” he said.

“If someone recklessly ignores the warnings, engages in an exercise of stupidity and drives through floodwaters, and puts their own life at risk, not to mention the lives of those who save them, then there should be a fine.

“At the moment the only way someone can be fined is police have the power if there is a ‘road closed’ sign.

“I’ve been asked what happens if a person is panicking, going in because they’re trying to get to help someone or something out, and the fact is you can’t save someone if you’re drowning.”

NSW State Opposition leader Luke Foley panned the proposal as ‘a money-making exercise’ saying emergency services shouldn’t be pawned out as a “money-making enterprise”.

Mr Ward replied it “is about saving lives”.

“Local SES people are frustrated that their training, skills and expertise is unfortunately having to be used to rescue people that should have known better.

“If a fine is one way to make people hear the message, I think it should be considered.

“This system already operates in places like Japan — if you go up a mountain and you have to be rescued, you pay the costs.

“I'm not recommending full costs — people should not be deterred from making an emergency call if their lives are at risk — I’m saying the prospect of a fine might make them think twice about driving in the first place.”

Insurance companies are unlikely to pay claims for damages to cars whose owners have driven around a road closed sign and deliberately into floodwaters.