Exposed: The biggest myth of surviving a tornado in a car

Katrina-highway

What would you do if you came face to face with a killer tornado while driving down the highway?

Many drivers would say that they would seek out a highway overpass for protection, but according to many experts that’s exactly the wrong move.

“Often times, the wind speeds will increase under there and that can actually be a more dangerous place for you to be,” says Donita Quesnel of the American Red Cross in a recently published report.

“People have been injured trying to get to those locations, when really, they may have been better off lying in a ditch,” she adds.

That’s right the best place to be when confronted with a killer tornado is not in your car, but instead in a ditch by the side of the road.

“If there’s obviously a ditch by the side of the road that you can get into, lower-lying ground, that’s the thing to do,” Quesnel says.

“Park the car, get out, get in that ditch, cover your head and neck and ride out the storm that way,” she adds.

So what do you do if you can’t find a ditch or low grown for protection?

If you have to stay in your car experts say, “Fasten your seat belt, slide down in your seat with your head below the windows, cover your face and your head with your arms and try to protect yourself that way.”

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