# Optimal Strategy in a Free-falling Elevator **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 19, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587 "2016-01-19T17:22:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/21 "2016-01-19T19:18:21Z")
Take the stairs. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/22 "2016-01-19T19:38:50Z")
You want to distribute the impact over as much of your body as you can. Therefore, lying down flat is the absolute worst possible thing you can do. Start off vertical, and you can distribute the impact over the entire length of your body. Start off horizontal, and you’re distributing it over perhaps an inch or two. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/23 "2016-01-19T19:41:01Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I don’t think the physics on that work out. The whole car might bounce, but what’s going to accelerate you _faster_ than the rest of the car to bounce into the ceiling? Beats me, that’s just what I imagined when I saw it. I guess the end result if the car actually jumps in the air is that I end up splattered on the floor a second time when it comes back down. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/24 "2016-01-19T20:03:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You want to distribute the impact over as much of your body as you can. Therefore, lying down flat is the absolute worst possible thing you can do. Start off vertical, and you can distribute the impact over the entire length of your body. Start off horizontal, and you’re distributing it over perhaps an inch or two. Wouldn’t standing up concentrate the impact over a much smaller footprint? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/25 "2016-01-19T20:12:10Z")
Footprint doesn’t matter. What matters is how far you travel while decelerating. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/26 "2016-01-19T20:12:46Z")
Re: Elevator falls don’t happen. From my family: An uncle was in an elevator with another guy at an industrial site. Something went wrong and the elevator fell. My uncle spent weeks convalescing. The other guy didn’t make it. IIRC something on the order of 4-5 floors. From US history: There’s a rather famous elevator fall from the B-25 vs. The Empire State Building [crash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-25_Empire_State_Building_crash). Just because a safety mechanism exists, doesn’t mean it works 100% of the time. Anyway … the reason why lying on the floor with your arms under your head sounds good to me is because the elevator floor is unlikely to undergo quite as fast a deceleration as your body would hitting the floor a second after it came to a stop. In general you want to be tight against the thing that’s going to take the longest to slow down. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/27 "2016-01-19T20:27:03Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Re: Elevator falls don’t happen. Who said they don’t happen? The point is, on the rare occasions they happen, the safety mechanisms reduce the damage. > [@](#): > > From my family: An uncle was in an elevator with another guy at an industrial site. Something went wrong and the elevator fell. My uncle spent weeks convalescing. The other guy didn’t make it. IIRC something on the order of 4-5 floors. Interesting. Details? > [@](#): > > From US history: There’s a rather famous elevator fall from the B-25 vs. The Empire State Building [crash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-25_Empire_State_Building_crash). > > Just because a safety mechanism exists, doesn’t mean it works 100% of the time. It worked well enough that the person in the car survived the fall. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/28 "2016-01-19T20:59:09Z")
Would it make sense to stand _leaning_ with your shoulders against the wall and your feet some distance away from it? That way, you would make some use of friction to neutralize the impact. (Though, if you have the time to prepare for it, you’re probably screwed anyhow.) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/29 "2016-01-19T21:03:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Footprint doesn’t matter. What matters is how far you travel while decelerating. Or to put it another way, you want the rest of your body to be the crumple zone for your brain. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/30 "2016-01-19T21:06:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You want to distribute the impact over as much of your body as you can. Therefore, lying down flat is the absolute worst possible thing you can do. Start off vertical, and you can distribute the impact over the entire length of your body. Start off horizontal, and you’re distributing it over perhaps an inch or two. That assumes infinite deceleration. If the elevator came to a stop instantly, you’re probably right that you’d want as much extra length as possible to decrease the required deceleration. In practice, though, the elevator won’t come to a stop instantly. Most elevators have a spring or hydraulic buffer at the bottom. In this case, you aren’t gaining as much from having an extra body length. Having force spread out over your back is by far the best way to avoid injury in high-G situations, as Colonel John Stapp found out in the fifties. If I knew the elevator would peak at 50 gees over 3 meters, I would definitely pick the flat on back position. If the distance were much less, standing might be optimal. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/31 "2016-01-19T21:11:31Z")
[everything you wanted to know about elevator injuries and deaths\*](http://www.elcosh.org/document/1232/d000397/Deaths+and+Injuries+Involving+Elevators+and+Escalators+-+A+Report+of+the+Center+To+Protect+Workers'+Rights.html?show_text=1) \*but were afraid to ask ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/32 "2016-01-19T21:14:02Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Or to put it another way, you want the rest of your body to be the crumple zone for your brain. I’m not sure I want my brain to outlive the rest of my body – even by minutes! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/33 "2016-01-19T21:16:24Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > I’m not sure I want my brain to outlive the rest of my body – even by minutes! I know what you mean. I considered responding to the OP by saying “Stand on your head”. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/34 "2016-01-19T21:25:50Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > How do you lay on the floor when you’re weightless? You can’t. The trouble with any of the answers in this thread is also: you have a very short time to react. Let’s say you’re free-falling from the top floor level of the [Gherkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe) - you have about 6 seconds to get yourself into whatever position you think is the best one - and you’re attempting it in freefall. From what I have seen of amateur first-time freefall experiences in parabolic flights, there’s generally a lot of flailing about (and in that context, the participants know it’s coming). It’s really unlikely that you’ll get the hang of it, and achieve your (probably fruitless) objective in the few seconds available. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/35 "2016-01-19T21:35:48Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > I’m not sure I want my brain to outlive the rest of my body – even by minutes! I do, but then I think about who’s deciding that for me. ---
**Author:** ![iljitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@iljitsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iljitsch)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/36 "2016-01-19T21:38:00Z")
If you lie on the floor the upside is that there’s no impact from your body hitting the floor, but it also means the deceleration is pretty much instantaneous. Not sure whether the net result would be better or worse. I can provide somewhat of a data point regarding falling from several meters on your feet. That happened to me when I was 17 and I had climbed a statue and was coming back down. I lost my grip and fell and hit the ground some 3 - 4 meters lower. This was marble or something similar and my feet were bare. When I got to the hospital (under my own power!) it turned out I had broken my heel bone in one foot. The doctor was surprised that I hadn’t broken my back, too, as that typically happens when people break their heel bone. I guess I was lucky because when I fell, my knees were bent so the force wasn’t transmitted directly from my feet to my back through the bones, but rather, absorbed by my feet and leg muscles. I’m guessing that from a larger height you’d still hit your head pretty hard. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/37 "2016-01-19T21:43:18Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Re: Elevator falls don’t happen. Maybe not, but sometimes [they go up really fast.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrvsfP1PxYk) :eek: [(news article)](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/chile/10886847/Chile-lift-slams-man-into-roof-after-rocketing-31-floors-in-15-seconds.html) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/38 "2016-01-19T21:47:57Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Maybe not, but sometimes [they go up really fast.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrvsfP1PxYk) :eek: [(news article)](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/chile/10886847/Chile-lift-slams-man-into-roof-after-rocketing-31-floors-in-15-seconds.html) Wonkavator! ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/39 "2016-01-19T21:58:04Z")
The way that circus performers and free runners accomplish falls from greater heights is that they fall feet first and roll when they hit the ground, trying to convert the vertical motion into horizontal. Of course, generally, they already have some horizontal momentum and generally they’re not going to be falling from all that high (unless it’s onto a pad) so the time to react at the bottom of the fall is greater. They’ll also know where the bottom is, so they can time their movements accordingly. You’re probably screwed, but if the elevator is falling from a low enough height. I’d venture to guess that it’s still your best bet. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587/40 "2016-01-19T23:47:55Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It’s like the way they’re worried about teleporters scrambling their body parts with those of a fly. It may be safe in TV and movies, but in real life there has never once been a teleportation that _didn’t_ end up with the person mixed up with a fly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-strategy-in-a-free-falling-elevator/743587.md?page=3)