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How do you know if your car is hit by lightning ?

Vextan

By Vextan,
in General Car Discussion

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Vextan

Vextan

1st Gear
(edited)

How do you know, if your car is struck by lightning during a heavy downpour ? will car just stall or will you fell anything, like being electrocuted ? Is it dangerous ?

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Vextan

Vextan

1st Gear
  • Author
(edited)

dont know why when i am driving in the heavy rain, when i think of what if being struck by lightning, i become scared. i mean, the feeling is like very helpless and subject to the mercy of nature, not exactly assuring and comforting right ?

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Strife

Strife

Neutral Newbie

like when your pearl white colored car turns black? Just like in the comedies when someone got hit.

If your car is already black then i guess u cant know.

 

Then again, if it actually happens and you do not realise, then that should answers the question.

For a lightning to hit a moving object, i guess the chances is as probable as lightning hitting the same spot twice.

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Chickensoup

Chickensoup

1st Gear

dont know why when i am driving in the heavy rain, when i think of what if being struck by lightning, i become scared. i mean, the feeling is like very helpless and subject to the mercy of nature, not exactly assuring and comforting right ?

Your car will get roasted if lightning strike.

 

Your car also got rubber tyres which is a insulator, just like when you do electrical repairs at home, you are advised to wear rubber shoes.

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Vextan

Vextan

1st Gear
  • Author

i read that every year there are people being struck in the open. so it is possible for cars to be struck, but maybe the driver dont know cos it is well insulated ? but what if the driver is touching the metallic part of the car ? does insurance cover ?

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Waterh2o

Waterh2o

4th Gear

This is what i found from wiki

Cars and aircraft, when struck by lightning. The metal frame and outer skin of the vehicle cause the electrical charge to travel safely away from the occupants. This differs from a popular urban legend that claims that a car's tires cause the lightning strike to reach the ground. However, radio and cellular phone signals can still reach inside the vehicle since their wavelengths are significantly smaller than the windows and other openings in the vehicle's conductive frame, though internal signal strength may be diminished.

 

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Vextan

Vextan

1st Gear
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(edited)

so is this why inside a car there is no exposed metal parts ? to insulate the occupant from the lightning electricity of a few thousand votes ? scary siah.

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Vextan

Vextan

1st Gear
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Your car will get roasted if lightning strike.

 

Your car also got rubber tyres which is a insulator, just like when you do electrical repairs at home, you are advised to wear rubber shoes.

 

ok, so is there anyway to lower the risk, beside refraining from swearing ?

 

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Ahyoo2002

Ahyoo2002

2nd Gear

Safe Vehicle

 

A safe vehicle is a hard-topped car, SUV, minivan, bus, tractor, etc. (soft-topped convertibles are not safe) . If you seek shelter in your vehicle, make sure all doors are closed and windows rolled up. Do not touch any metal surfaces.

 

If you're driving when a thunderstorm starts, pull off the roadway. A lightning flash hitting the vehicle could startle you and cause temporary blindness, especially at night.

 

Do not use electronic devices such as HAM radios during a thunderstorm. Lightning striking the vehicle, especially the antennas, could cause serious injury if you are talking on the radio or holding the microphone at the time of the flash. Emergency officials such as police officers, firefighters, security officers, etc., should use extreme caution using radio equipment when lightning is in the area.

 

Your vehicle and its electronics may be damaged if hit by lightning. Vehicles struck by lightning are known to have flat tires the next day. This occurs because the lightning punctures tiny holes in the tires. Vehicles have caught fire after being struck by lightning; however, there is no modern day documented cases of vehicles "exploding" due to a lightning flash.

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Allen

Allen

2nd Gear

in spore, struck by lightning is last thing u need to worry abt,

everywhere is tall building.

they tested in in Top Gear,

they deliberately sit in the car and car struck by man made lightning,

car nothing wrong and still able to drive off as long as u dun touch any

metal parts of the car when the lightning strikes.

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