ENERGEX is urging people to stay, call and wait if they hit an electrical pillar box this New Year’s Eve when parking on footpaths.
Area Manager Matt Hilder said with street parking being very popular in the holiday season, it makes it more common for people to accidentally hit the boxes, with more than 90 vehicles doing so last year.
“These pillar boxes are the small green boxes you see at the fence line on footpaths, and with plenty of people heading to parties on New Year’s Eve, drivers resort to parking on footpaths,” he said.
“If a vehicle hits a pillar box or other electrical equipment such as padmount transformers or powerpoles, even at low speed, live parts can be exposed…
“This causes a dangerous safety issue capable of making the car live or severely injuring or killing anyone who comes in contact with it.”
If this does happen, Mr Hilder pleads with people to make sure they follow the strict stay, call and wait protocol to avoid serious harm.
“If someone in a vehicle accidentally bumps into one of our pillar boxes they should stay in their vehicle and, if safe to do so, drive it at least 10 metres away before getting out of the car and calling us on 13 19 62…” he said.
“If the vehicle is stuck on the pillar box, there’s a high probability the outside of the vehicle may be live with electricity, so the safest course of action is to stay, call and wait.
“Stay in the vehicle, call 000 for help and wait in the vehicle until emergency services and Energex confirm it is safe to get out.”