It’s important to stay far away from downed power lines. But if you’re inside a vehicle that comes into contact with downed power lines, there are specific steps you should take – and avoid taking – to stay safe.
You should always assume the wires are energized, even if that doesn’t seem likely. For this reason, your first, best option is to stay in your car if possible and wait for help.
Please review the information below and watch this video to learn more about how to exit safely if you must evacuate your car, primarily in the case of fire.
What is the first thing you should do if your vehicle comes into contact with power lines?
Stay inside the vehicle and call for help.
It may seem counterintuitive, and you may be tempted to get out to inspect the vehicle or cautiously exit and call for help. But don’t; staying inside the vehicle is the safest course of action. Getting out while the lines are still energized could result in electrocution or a severe shock.
Unless there is an immediate life-threatening reason to leave – like if the vehicle catches on fire or begins to smoke – please stay in your vehicle, call 911, and wait until our trained experts arrive and de-energize the lines.
In crashes involving power lines, is it safe to exit the vehicle if the lines aren’t visibly sparking or smoking?
No. It is safest to remain inside the vehicle, even if it looks like there is a clear path to exit. Always assume that all downed lines are live. Unless there is smoke or fire, you should not exit the vehicle under any circumstance until after our crews have arrived, cleared the scene and de-energized the lines. When you dial 911, first responders will alert us.
If you happen to witness a crash involving power lines and a vehicle, what steps should you take?
You should always consider power lines to be energized and dangerous. Stay far away, call 911, and tell any bystanders to remain far away until help arrives.
While it is our natural inclination to help others, do not approach the vehicle to help. Bystanders can get electrocuted or severely shocked if they move too close to a vehicle that has come into contact with power lines.
If I suspect my vehicle is on fire, how can I safely exit a vehicle after an accident with power lines?
If you must exit the vehicle, exit through a door as far away as possible from any visible power lines.
Please commit this to memory: It is critical to jump out with both feet together and without touching the car and ground at the same time. This reduces the likelihood of touch potential, where electricity might flow from an energized object, such as your car, to the ground, passing through you. Once you land with both feet together, either shuffle or bunny hop as far away as you can, keeping your feet as close together as possible. That reduces the likelihood of step potential, where the electricity from the energized ground might flow through one foot and out the other. The closer your feet are together, the safer you will be.
Can I be shocked if I don’t touch power lines?
Yes! You aren’t safe just because you’re not touching a line. Downed lines can energize your car and the surrounding area, so you can get a severe or even fatal shock without ever touching a line. This is why it’s critically important to remain inside the vehicle until we arrive, even if the power lines appear to be de-energized. Wait for our line workers to clear the scene.
Why is it critical to shuffle or “bunny hop” away from the vehicle if I must exit?
If your feet are apart, electricity can enter through one foot and pass through your body before exiting out the other. Shuffling or hopping with your feet as close together as possible makes it more difficult for the electrical current to pass through your body.
If you witness a crash in which a driver has collided with a utility pole and brought down the power lines, do not shuffle or bunny hop to the car to check on the occupants. Stay far away and instead, call for help and keep other bystanders away as well.
