Q: I am a native Atlantan and for as long as I can remember, we have been told if you are in a car that is in the path of a tornado, you should get out of the car, lie down in a ditch and protect your head. I first heard this probably in the 1960s before cars had seatbelts, airbags or other modern safety features. Tornados obviously haven’t changed since the 1960s, but cars sure have. Cars today have crush zones, safety glass, airbags, seatbelts, collapsible steering columns, impact absorbing bumpers, side door beams, and they meet stringent rollover standards established by the federal government. They are designed to absorb significant impacts while a central passenger compartment remains intact. However, the tornado safety advice has never changed. Is this still the right advice?
—Mitch Williams, Peachtree City
A: Even with the improvements in safety features of cars, they still are far more dangerous in tornadoes than a sturdy, permanent building, Roger Edwards, tornado specialist with the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. He wrote in an e-mail that strong tornadoes easily can flip, throw, drop and crush vehicles. Passengers and drivers don't know how strong the tornado is until it hits, and that's a potentially deadly chance to take. But if you are already driving and cannot get to safer shelter or out of the way of a tornado, the National Weather Service and American Red Cross recommend:
• Stay in the car and keep your seat belt on. Put their head down below the windows and cover your head with your hands and an item like a blanket, if possible.
• If you can safely get lower than the level of the roadway, exit the vehicle and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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