Tornado Car Safety Myths: Overpasses, Ditches, and Driving Away

Cars are not tornado shelters

A vehicle offers very little protection from tornadic winds and flying debris. Even relatively weak tornadoes can push vehicles, break windows, and turn loose objects into projectiles.

The safest plan is to avoid being on the road during a tornado warning. If severe weather is expected, adjust travel before storms arrive.

The overpass myth

Do not shelter under an overpass. Wind can accelerate through the narrow space, debris can be funneled under the bridge, and parked cars can block emergency traffic.

The overpass myth became popular from dramatic video, but emergency managers strongly discourage it. A bridge is not a tornado shelter.

Driving away

If the tornado is distant, visible, traffic is light, roads are clear, and you know the storm motion, driving at right angles away from the path may work. Those conditions are not always present.

At night, in heavy rain, in traffic, or in unfamiliar terrain, driving away can put you in worse danger. Never drive toward a tornado to look at it.

If you are caught

If a sturdy building is nearby, get inside and shelter. If no building is available and the tornado is imminent, official advice can vary by situation: either stay low in the vehicle with your seat belt on and head protected, or leave the vehicle for a low spot if you can do so safely.

The best answer is prevention: do not let the road become your shelter plan.