If happen to see a tornado as you are driving down the road, most individuals have the instinct to just drive in a different direction to flee the storm. In our general rural landscape this usually is the best option to stay safe. In an urban setting, trying to flee a tornado in a vehicle is often a recipe for disaster.
Last week when tornadoes once again struck around the Oklahoma City area, hundreds of residents tried fleeing their neighborhoods to avoid the tornadoes. The combination of these individuals hitting the streets at the same time and the tornadoes arriving at rush hour caused massive traffic jams. Sadly many of the deaths from the storms that day were individuals trapped in the cars unable to get away from the storm.
As a general rule if you are at home, stay at home during a tornado warning, but if you are in your car and unable to drive away, make sure your seat belt is on and stay as low as you can in your seat.