Stay away from power lines: School safety demonstrations
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Learn how to survive a car accident with power lines
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Watch life-saving video on YouTube
In auto accidents that bring power lines to the ground, instinct tells us to run from danger. However, it’s almost always best to remain in your vehicle and wait for help, cautions Bill Schmidt, general manager of Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative. “Stepping outside the car can lead to tragic results,” he said. “If power lines are energized, your body can become the path for high-voltage electricity.”
Since you can’t tell by looking if a power line is energized, follow these steps to survive a car accident involving power lines:
1. If your vehicle hits a power pole or brings down a power line, stay in your vehicle and wait for help. The rubber tires will help insulate the vehicle from the ground and keep any electric current from flowing through the vehicle and you. Call 911 for help or honk your horn to alert bystanders. Warn them to keep away from the vehicle, but ask them to call 911 and the local electric utility immediately.
2. If you must get out of the car because of fire or other danger, tuck your arms and jump clear of the vehicle so no part of your body touches the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Then hop or shuffle away, keeping feet together and in contact with the ground. Electricity spreads through the ground in ripples, like a stone dropped in water. The voltage is highest closest to the vehicle and decreases with distance. Keeping feet together by hopping or shuffling helps prevent one foot from landing in a higher voltage zone than another. You never want your feet in two voltage zones, because this can make you a conductor for electricity.
3. Even if a power line has landed on the ground away from your vehicle, the area near your car can be energized. Stay safe in your vehicle unless there’s fire or imminent risk of fire. It’s best to wait for the local electric utility crew to arrive and make sure the power is off.
4. If you witness an accident involving utility poles and power lines, don’t approach the accident scene. Stay in your car and call for help. Getting out of your vehicle, with few exceptions, is the wrong thing to do until the power line has been de-energized. “Often our inclination is to step in and help those in danger and assist the injured,” said Schmidt. “But in accidents involving power lines, you could become another victim in need of rescue. Instead of putting yourself in the path of electricity, call 911 for help.”
5. The same rules apply to situations involving farm and construction equipment. If it comes in contact with overhead power lines, stay in the cab and warn others to stay away until the power line is de-energized.
To learn more, watch this true story from SafeElectricity on YouTube about two students who survived an auto accident involving power lines.