My school is going to have an earthquake drill in a couple weeks, and this was among the information I got:

"Do not move to another location or outside. Earthquakes occur without any warning and may be so violent that you cannot run or crawl. You are more likely to be injured if you try to move around during strong shaking. Also, you will never know if the initial jolt will turn out to be start of the big one...and that’s why you should always Drop, Cover, and Hold On immediately!" (Emphasis added)

My question is, how do they know that, "You are more likely to be injured if you try to move around during strong shaking"? Have they surveyed people? Is this based on any facts? Or is it just common assumption that gets recycled? All those victims they pull from buildings, did it really matter if they were moving or not?

I've been a a few really big earthquakes, like three I think, and the first thing that comes to mind is to get the hell out of the building because it's coming down!

"Do not move to another location." Really? Even if I'm next to a tall bookshelf or plate glass window?

I think the survival instinct to get out of the deathtrap that some buildings are is a good one. At least the closer you get to the outside, the better chance you have of being rescued if it does come down.