If you are in a car (truck, etc..) and the car is hit by lightning, are you insulated from the shock?

Question

Support your answer.

Answer 1

Not exactly "insulated". The metallic skin around the passenger compartment form a conductive "cage" which diverts any electric field around you rather than through you. So a bolt of electricity hits the top of the car, and passes around the skin to the lowest conductive point of the car, and hops onto the ground. You are unaffected in the car because no electricity goes through you (sames as birds sitting on a high voltage line). However, you are in trouble if lightning hits your car while you are getting out of the car and one foot is on the ground. Instead of jumping through air, it goes through your foot.

A lightning rod works the same way. Lightning hits the rod which is connected to a heavy cable that is well grounded into the earth. Lightning hits it and spares the house or building.

I disagree with others who say it is the rubber tires. Rubber tire forces the electricity to jump from lowest metal piece of the car onto the ground. If you were ridding on metal rim, you would still be fine. Lightning would just go through that into the ground. I also diagree with "touch the metal and you are done". Birds sit on high voltage wires and they are fine. You could be at 10,000 volts but as long as no current flows through you, you are fine.

Answer 2

Well, hopefully if you're insulated well enough, the car WOULDN'T get hit by lightning. So, I guess the answer is no...?

The common thought though is that the tires are insulators, in that they don't effectively conduct electricity. However, whether or not this will keep the car from being struck as part of a lightning bolt, I'm not sure. If it's sufficiently humid out, I'm wondering if that would provide a sufficent medium for lightning to arc down to the car, and from the car rather than conducting through the tires, arc between the chassis and the ground? Maybe if you're the only thing around on a flat/level stretch of road, and there's a thunderstorm overhead...? It might hit the car and arc. Of course that would mean that the car and the air are the conductor and not YOU, thankfully. ;o)

But I really don't know enough about electricity to know if that's a viable answer...? But theoreticallt the tires are an insulator, so since they're cont cinductive, the electricity would have to find some other route to "ground."

You definitely don't want to get out of the car, though... Because if the car is charged, and you get out, most likely you'll be touching the ground at the same time you're touching the car, and the water in your body is a darn good conductor. So, YOU'D be the route to ground, and the electricity would be transferred from the car THROUGH YOU to the ground. Not a pretty picture. But yeah, the best advicec is if there's lightning around or if an electric power line falls on your car, DO NOT get out.

Answer 3

In short, vehicles are elevated above ground by the wheels, so no conductivity occurs, we are considered safe.
2 things left,
If the condition is right, high voltage archs, that causes posibility of injury.
Then there is a possiblity of high Static voltage, if you are to disembark from the vehicle, never touch any metallic parts while trying to step down. Try jumping off with both feet together at once and hop away, in high voltage situations never walk, hop with your feet together.
If its a huge direct strike, even if it doesn't splinter your car in pieces or burn it out, it could stop your heart on the spot.
Hope that never will ever happen to anyone out there.

Answer 4

Yes you would be protected. In order to shocked you must be grounded, meaning that part of your body must be touching the ground in order to complete the circuit.

The only part of the vehicle that touches the ground are the tires, and tires are made out of rubber. Since rubber is a resistor, meaning it impedes electricity, the vehicle will not be grounded, and since the vehicle isn't grounded you can't be shocked.

Answer 5

You wii be safe, the tires work as insulators. My car -a Honda Accord- was hit by a lighting while I wqas inside, nothing happened to me or to the car. Most neighbors witnessed the incident one of them almost had a heart attack, not me.

Answer 6

yes when lightning strikes metal the shock can only go on one side it cant actually go through the metal just around it. as long as u are inside the car and as long as it closed and everything u cant get struck yourself even if the car does.

Answer 7

yes, in general, we may explain this type of incidents by the "Faraday Cage" event. basicly, electricity/eletromagnetic waves follows the metal surrounding instead of getting inside.you may wanna check wikipedia or else for more. Now, i remember, i think it was in "the enemy of the state" movie, thw guys get in to a metal cage to prevent the agency to listen or locate their cellphone, or easier, you might realise that if you're in an elevator your phones signal get significanly weak. i remember a crazy man(was an old video-black and white) wears some kind of bird cage to his head and attaches is strictly to a special costume completely sorrounded by copper wires and gets near to a tesla coil and surely get struck by a lightning. and laughes at the same time!. Just some examples....really interesting stuff; this "Faraday Cage" :D

Answer 8

Yes, you're "insulated," but only if you're not touching some part of the metal frame of the vehicle.

Answer 9

Only if you stay in the vehicle. The rubber tires do not protect you, the metal of the vehicle distributes the charge evenly on the outside of it.

Answer 10

Yes