FOUR out of five 18 to 34-yea-old drivers in the North-East would drive through floodwater, new figures have revealed.

In a survey commissioned by the Environment Agency and the AA, 80.5 per cent of young motorists in the region admitted they would take the risk rather than find a safer route compared to 68 per cent overall.

The survey also revealed North-East men were more likely to drive in flood water than women. The figures emerged as the Environment Agency runs its campaign warning people across the country to be prepared for flooding in advance by checking their risk and signing up for free warnings.

It warned that driving through floodwater puts the lives of drivers and their passengers on the line, risks the safety of emergency responders. A total of 18,000 AA members took part.

Caroline Douglass, director of incident management and resilience at the Environment Agency, said: “The results of this survey are extremely concerning – no one should put their own life or those of their friends and family at risk during a flood. Just 30cm of water can float a family car, and smaller cars take even less.

“If you’re driving long distances this winter, please check online for any flood warnings in force along your route, and if you find your way blocked by floodwater, never take the risk – turn around and find another way.”

Vince Crane, AA patrol of the year, said: “If the road ahead is flooded, don’t chance it - flood water can be deceptively deep and can mask other hazards on the road.

“It only takes an egg-cupful of water to be sucked into your engine to wreck it and on many cars, the engine’s air intake is low down at the front.

“As well as the damage to your car, attempting to drive through flood water puts you and your passengers in danger - so it’s just not worth the risk.”