電梯剛發明之時沒有有緊急防滑裝置，因此舊型電梯一旦鋼纜斷了之後就是下墜一途，在當時乘坐電梯是一種相對危險的事情。
1852, Elisha Otis 發明了安全電梯之後，電梯的安全設計一再被加強改進，其中最基本的兩個設計是
1. 緊急煞車，和汽車煞車一樣，平常以鋼纜的拉力將煞車打開，一旦鋼纜斷裂，煞車自動夾緊。會咬死四邊的支柱將速度逐漸降低。
2. 減速凸面，和校園中阻止汽車超速的突起路面類同，電梯的其中一條支柱有著降速凸面，一旦電梯自由下滑時，和緊急煞車並用，提共更大的阻力。
160 年來，隨著安全設計被不斷的改進，這兩項基本設計也被不斷的改良，更新。今天的電梯可以說已經是非常安全的裝置了。
一般來說，既使意外發生，除非大樓崩毀或火災，否則最多是被卡在電梯中數小時而已。
近代的電梯意外大多起源於乘客想自行逃離而發生的慘劇。
以上一篇文章在網路流傳甚廣，但是完全沒有根據，不足採信。
首先，
近代的電梯絕不可能因為停電而下墜。
說法中的幾點可議之處為：
>> 第一、(不論有幾層樓 )趕快把每一層樓的按鍵都按下。
會急遽下墜的電梯肯定是纜繩已斷，這種情況下電梯已經無法被控制，在恐慌中亂按，於事無補。
>> 第二、如果電梯裏有手把，一隻手緊握手把。
抓住手把不是壞事，但是要是超過四層樓以上的重跌，恐怕還是於事無補。
>> 第三、整個背部跟頭部緊貼電梯內牆，呈一直線。
這一點錯得相當厲害，弓身才能夠讓脊椎承受較大的撞擊，要是挺直的話既使是一公尺高的高度，要是腳跟先著地，脊椎也可能受傷。讀者可以自己常試著從小板凳往下跳（不能太高，最好不超過十五公分，也不要挺得太直。），你會發現人類的身體在下墜時自然會弓起，要是勉強站直的下墜的話脊椎會很不舒服甚或疼痛。
>> 第四、膝蓋呈彎曲姿勢。
>>
>> 說明：因為電梯下墜時，你不會知道它會何時著地，且墜<
>> 落時很可能會全身骨折而死。
下墜中的電梯事屬於「自由落體」，也就是說人的身體是浮在電梯之中，上不著天花板，下不著地，3,4 兩點根本不可能做到。
寫這篇文章的人完全無視於物理定律，任何人只要稍懂基本物理中「自由落體」的話都會知道這一點。
結論：
近代的電梯非常安全，「電梯下墜事件」往往只有發生在電影中，實際上和電梯相關的致命事件反而都是因為電梯門打開，但是電梯尚未到，而外面的人不小心走入沒有電梯的電梯間而摔死較多。
附錄「電梯間的緊急對應方式」僅供參考。
1. Use elevator telephone to communicate with the Safety and Security Office via the elevator telecommunication system.
使用緊急電話和安全警衛聯繫。
2. Give the Safety and Security officer the location of the elevator and floor number if known.
告知安全人員電梯的標號或位置。
3. Remain calm.
保持冷靜。
4. DO NOT try to force open the elevator door. Stay in the car.
絕對不要嘗試自行打開電梯門，待在電梯中靜待救援。（許多意外就是因為乘客想自行逃出而導致不幸）
原文： http://www.macalester.edu/security/emergency-procedures/elevator.html
參考資料：
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) - Technical Reports - ELEVATOR SAFETY: GIVE THE MINER A BRAKE (http://mshawebapps.msha.gov/S&HINFO/TECHRPT/HOIST/PAPER4.HTM)Elevator History (http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/elevator.htm)TSR Elevator Company Inc. - Elevator Safety (http://www.tsrelevator.com/esafety.html) www.otis.com (http://www.otis.com/cp/subcategorydetails/0,2241,CLI1_RES1_SCM14900_SCP14907,00.html)Elevator Safety (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/27417/elevator_safety.html)原文連結後記：
# The only known occurence of an elevator car free falling due to a snapped cable (barring fire or structural collapse), was in 1945. A B25 Bomber crashed into the Empire State Building, severing the cables of two elevators. The elevator car on the 75th floor had a woman on it, but she survived due to the 1000 feet of coiled cable of fallen cable below, which lessened the impact.
# Elevators are twenty times safer than escalators. There are twenty times more elevators than escalators, but only 1/3 more accidents.
# Elevators are also safer than cars. An average of 26 people die in elevators each year in the U.S. There are 26 car deaths every five hours.
# Most people who die in elevators are elevator technicians.
# The Otis Elevator Company carries the equivalent of the world's population in their elevators every five days.
# The New York Marriott was the first to introduce a smart elevator system that assigned passengers to elevators depending on what floor they were heading to.
# Elevators used to require a two-man dispatcher/operator team to function. The advent of navigational buttons rendered those jobs obsolete.
# The area required for personal space is 2.3 feet. The average amount on elevators is generally 2 feet.
# Elevator hatches are generally bolted shut for safety reasons. In times of elevator crisis, the safest place is inside the elevator.
# The myth about jumping just before impact in a falling elevator is just that — myth. You can't jump fast enough to counteract the speed of falling. And you wouldn't know when to jump.
# Due to the laws of physics, elevators can't be any taller than 1700 feet. Hoist ropes become too heavy after that, snapping at 3200 feet.
資料來源：
Things You Don't Know About Modern Elevators
