THE fire service has warned motorists not to try to drive through floodwater.

The service revealed 26 people were rescued from 16 cars at separate flooding incidents across Devon and Somerset on December 23.

The 250 calls responded to by fire crews also included 26 unsafe structures and 35 flooding calls, including calls to many multiple properties in the same area.

Area Manager Phil Martin said that people were gambling with their lives if they chose to drive through floodwater.

He said: “Your car can float in as little as 30cm of water and it takes much less than that to knock someone off their feet.

“People must ask themselves, is it worth gambling with your car and maybe even your life to take the shortest route home rather than take a detour on a safer journey.

“Floodwater can cause significant and expensive damage to your car but it can also cost the lives of you and the people with you.”

He also reminded motorists that while the service responds to save lives in emergencies, it does not recover vehicles stranded in floodwater afterwards.

Mr Martin added: “Motorists should also be aware of the possibility of tree branches and other debris on the roads due to high winds.”