This week is National Teen Driver Safety Week and Ameren Illinois is reminding parents and high school driver ed instructors to have conversations with their teens or students about the important rules they need to follow to stay safe behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
These rules address the greatest dangers for teen drivers: alcohol, inconsistent or no seat belt use, distracted/texting, drowsy driving, speeding, and having too many passengers.
Drivers safety protocol
A less talked about, but nonetheless important, "rule" is what teens should do when a power line falls onto their vehicle. The Illinois Department of Transportation estimates that Illinois motorists strike power poles approximately 3,000 times a year. Ameren Illinois knows this firsthand because its crews are called to the scene of these crashes to de-energize the power lines. But what’s most alarming is the fact that most motorists don’t know what to do in this scenario.
Ameren Illinois coworkers met with more than 150 driver education instructors across its service territory and posed the following question – "Do you teach teen drivers safety protocol regarding vehicle accidents involving utility power poles?" The teachers' answers varied between "no" and "the material we use is outdated."
Driver education classes
Ameren Illinois coworkers met with more than 150 driver education instructors across its service territory
Ameren Illinois partnered with the Illinois High School and College Driver Education Association a few years ago to create a curriculum and video that instructors can use in the classroom. Ameren Illinois is reminding parents, instructors and students as well as experienced drivers that the video and curriculum is free to use and could save a life one day.
Teens learning to drive through driver education classes in Illinois high schools are bombarded with safety information as they recall those lessons before getting behind the wheel for the first time. The video features a young woman from the Ameren Illinois service territory whose car encountered a downed wire during a severe thunderstorm. She gave a first-hand account about the mistakes she made and how lucky she was to have escaped unharmed.
Potential energized zone
"It's a natural instinct to exit a vehicle after any crash, but when power lines are involved, both the vehicle and ground can become energized," said Karen Boulanger, director of Safety for Ameren, who is also featured on the video. "The message we share drives home the importance of remaining in the vehicle and calling 911. Only when the power company arrives and certifies that the lines are de-energized is it safe to exit."
Ameren Illinois offers tips about what to do if anyone sees downed power lines on a vehicle:
- Stay inside the vehicle and assume all wires on the vehicle are energized.
- Call 911 and wait for a professional lineman to tell users the lines are de-energized and it is safe to exit.
- Remind Good Samaritans to stay at least 50 feet away to keep them out of the potential energized zone. Roll down the window and tell passengers are ok or hurt and to call 911.
