I was confused by the advice to shuffle step (or hop with both fee together) when (unavoidably) in the vicinity of a downed power line. Why, I wondered, would it be more dangerous to have one foot in the air?
After some web searching, it appears that the real danger is having your feet far apart. This is because of two things:
1) There is a voltage gradient across the ground. This makes a greater voltage difference between more distant points.
2) Electricity can flow more easily through your flesh than the ground. If your legs form a "bridge" between two points, the current may flow through that longer path rather than through the ground.
Can someone with a better understanding of such things confirm and/or clarify?
@peterdrake Glad you asked. The safest method is to avoid touching the ground near a downed powerline. HTH.
