Melbourne

This is the best summary I could come up with:

The chief executive of Natural Hazards Research Australia, Andrew Gissing, said there were a number of reasons people attempted to make it across a flooded section of road.

Vehicle type, familiarity with the area and social perceptions were just some of the factors drivers took into account before  deciding whether to forge ahead, he said.

Mr Gissing said people with four-wheel drives were more likely to take on flooded roads, as they tended to think their cars were much safer and heavier than others.

Pictures from VicRoads showed large sections of bitumen in flood-affected areas swept away earlier in the week, with guardrails warped and broken by the power of the water.

Sixty-three per cent of participants said they had encountered flooding in the last year, but if they thought their fellow road users would disapprove of them turning around, they would continue through the floodwaters.

Researchers also found that having a plan B, and actively seeking alternate routes — even when floods weren't impacting an area — also prevented drivers from entering floodwaters.

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