Lightning that hit cars most often go from the ground and up to the clouds, taking the route with least resistance. Nothing really happens to the person in a car when the vehicle gets struck by lightning as long as they remain in the car. In a vivid reminder of just how powerful Mother Nature can be, a News 5 viewer sent us this video of lightning striking a car on I-90. Electrically speaking, at lightning's higher frequencies, currents are carried mostly on the outside of conducting objects. The lightning hit the left rear corner of the luggage rack on the roof of the car, effectively welding the metal latch that allowed the rear cross member to be adjusted fore and aft. When lightning strikes a car, the electricity from the lightning gets discharged by the car's body not the tires. Once struck, the people inside will remain safe. . “The car took a direct hit; it must have had an enormity of electricity. Fig. Older cars tend to fare better in lightning strikes because their electrical systems are much simpler and therefore more rugged. The other day, we posted about tornado safety while driving.In addition to tornadoes, Kansas oftentimes is the recipient of epic thunderstorms with lots of lightning strikes. I had my foot on the brake and was waiting at a red light when my car was struck by lightning. Most lightning incidents to cars result in one or more flat tires and damage to the electrical system, but no injury to the occupants. 1 shows that lightning chewed through the top of the pole to get to the STL dish and transmission line. The vehicle’s engine continued to run but when the bolt hit it knocked out … 1: Lightning struck the pole, cutting a deep gouge. You might hear the quick and loud thunder following the strike. The car's body acts like a faraday cage. What Happens When a Car is Struck By Lightning? What a mess . Most often you see these little pinholes of damage near the roof and near the bottom of the car. Lightning had hit a station-owned utility pole with an STL dish. What happens when lightning strikes a vehicle? . Meaning that such a device as the one you suggest will encourage lightning to hit your car, increasing the probability to get hit significantly. When I was struck my car shut off and brake pedal became stiff and wouldn't move at all. More often, the lightning hits the car body and you get fairly little damage, at least to the body of the car. The heat from a lightning strike is sufficient to partially melt the antenna of a vehicle and can cause what seems like a small explosion of sparks as tiny fragments of metal melt and burn. On this one, everything was fried,” said Davis. my car is a disaster." When a car gets struck by lightning, you will see a bright flash and sparks. Last night my car took a direct hit from lightning. 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