Bob Pierce answers questions about energy efficiency, consumer products, and cooperative governance. He is Clearwater Power’s Chief Operating Officer and welcomes your questions on our Ask Bob page.
In the event a vehicle collides with a power pole where there is a downed power line, I heard it is safer to stay in your vehicle. Why is this?
Any time there is a downed power line, you must assume it is still energized. When there’s an accident involving a power pole, loose wires may be in contact with your vehicle, creating a risk for electrocution.
While you are in your vehicle, you are like a bird on a wire. Since you are not touching the ground, you are not part of the circuit. If you attempt to get out when the wire is still energized, you will become the electrical path between the vehicle and the ground and could be electrocuted.
After an accident, stay in the car and tell others to do the same. Call 911 and wait for a utility lineworker to inform you it is safe to exit the vehicle.
If you absolutely must leave the vehicle due to a fire, ensure you do not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Open the door wide, stand on the running board, and—with both feet close together—jump completely free of the vehicle. Shuffle or hop away from the scene, keeping your feet together.
Because power may be flowing through the soil, the voltage will vary depending on the distance from the downed power line. If you separate your feet, there could be a voltage difference from 1 foot to another, causing current to flow through your body, which can be deadly. Keeping your feet together will prevent this.
These same concepts apply to farm equipment, log trucks, dump trucks, and other machinery. When concerned about a wreck, drivers can forget that jumping out of the vehicle puts them at risk of exposure to thousands of volts of electricity, endangering their lives.
If you see an accident involving power lines, stay away.