Lightning Strikes to Jalopies

What happens when lightning strikes a vehicle? The answer, gleaned from anecdotal observations, is all the way from "nothing" to "Wow! What a mess. . . my car is a disaster."

Electrically speaking, at lightning's higher frequencies, currents are carried mostly on the outside of conducting objects. A thick copper wire or a hollow-wall metal pipe will carry most of the lightning on outer surfaces. This phenomenon is called Skin Effect. The same holds true for lightning when it strikes metal vehicles: the outer surface carries most of the electricity. The persons inside this steel box can be likened to protected by a partial Faraday Cage.

But, consistent with lightning's capricious nature, situations alter results. Is the car dry or wet? If the car is made of fiberglass (a poor conductor) or a convertible, Skin Effect principles may not work. [Corvette and Saturn owners please note.]

The complete article is available at :

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/vehicle_strike.html


The website has some good photos of Jalopies after being struck by lightning!