The idea that jumping just before an elevator hits the ground will save your life is a persistent urban myth that is physically impossible to execute effectively. In a free-falling elevator, both you and the car are accelerating toward the ground at the same rate. To cancel out that downward velocity, you would need to jump upward with a force greater than the speed of the falling elevator, which no human is capable of doing. Furthermore, even if you could jump that high, you would likely smash your head into the ceiling of the car, causing severe trauma. Additionally, it is impossible to time the jump perfectly because you cannot see the floor approaching. Physical scientists and safety experts agree that the best chance for survival in a catastrophic elevator failure—which is extremely rare due to redundant cable systems and electromagnetic brakes—is to lie flat on the floor of the car. This position helps distribute the force of the impact across your entire body, protecting your spine and skull from being crushed by a vertical deceleration.