By WMBD-TV
ILLINOIS – This week is National Teen Driver Safety Week. Ameren Illinois is reminding teen drivers of the very important, life-saving protocol when dealing with downed power lines.
Some of the greatest dangers for teen drivers is alcohol, seatbelt use, or speeding, but there is one that is not talked about nearly enough. That’s what to do when you hit a powerline and it falls on your car.
The Illinois Department of Transportation estimates that Illinois drivers hit a power line about 3,000 times a year.
Ameren says no matter what kind of pole you hit, you should stay in your car until help arrives. Wires in a power line can stay energized, and as soon as the driver touches the car while on the ground, you can be electrocuted.
“Most people’s instincts are to get out of the car and assess the damage,” said Ameren Illinois spokesperson Brian Bretsch. “If the line is energized, as soon as you open the door and put your foot on the ground, you are creating the path to ground and you will be electrocuted if the line is energized.”
Ameren says they’ve met with more than 150 driver education instructors across the state and asked if power line protocol is taught to classes. Answers varied between “no,” and “the material we use is outdated.”
“The utility world is a world where not a lot of people know about it,” Bretsch said. “Power lines, you see them all of the time and you just never know what amount of electricity is going through them.”
If you strike a power line, following these steps could save your life
- Stay inside the vehicle and assume all wires on the car are energized.
- Call 9-1-1 and wait for a professional lineman to tell you the lines are de-energized and it is safe to exit the car.
- Remind people nearby if any to stay at least 50 feet away to keep them out of the potential energized zone. Roll down the window and tell them.
Ameren Illinois has a free safety video that anyone can use to show during driver’s education or any safety class.
