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  • Is it alright to drive while its lightening?

    Anoop Mathew

    Anoop Mathew

    @anoop-FRTf1L
    Updated: Oct 23, 2024
    Views: 1.2K
    My Situation:
    I'm sort of stuck at the office after my evening shift. It's been raining heavily and I don't have a raincoat.

    My Question:
    Once it has stopped raining, will it be alright if I take off on my Honda Dio scooter even if its lightening and thundering? My scooter has a body made of fibre.

    What if the scooter had a metallic body? - say a Honda Activa?

    Let me know what you think with the reason.

    P.S.: Do 4 wheelers have any risks in such a scenario?
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Replies

  • Abhijit Dey

    Member • Apr 28, 2013

    Well according to me the highest point of an area gets hit by lightening. If you riding and driving in the city, then I don't think you would get struck, but if you're out on a field with no trees or lamp post then yes you are at risk.

    I have seen reports where cars and bikes and even humans were struck by lightening and it doesn't matter if its metallic or not.

    So yes there are chances of you or your scooter or car getting struck by lightning, but the odds are pretty low within cities.
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  • Anoop Kumar

    Member • Apr 28, 2013

    If you are in the car nothing gonna happen. electricity will just pass through body and tires (yes, tires are made to conduct electricity otherwise there would so much of static electricity will be accumulated in body that when a person get outside everytime, he will get a shock.)

    I have seen truck get stuck in 11k overhead wire and people safely got jumped outside while tire started burning due to resistance.
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  • Anoop Mathew

    Member • Apr 28, 2013

    #-Link-Snipped-#: Do you mean a city with lots of skyscrapers? I assume from your comment that the tallest structure would be hit first. But I'm still a moving target!

    Does a stationery target possess more chance of a hit when compared to a moving target? - or is it the vice versa? Let me know.

    #-Link-Snipped-#: I never knew that about tyres!

    Case 2:
    I'm on a long drive - say, through a vast expanse of a field; there is no physical shelter anywhere along the way for atleast the next 15 to 20 kms, when it starts to rain with thunder and lightening. How do I protect myself from getting struck?
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  • lal

    Member • Apr 28, 2013

    electricity will just pass through body and tires (yes, tires are made to conduct electricity otherwise there would so much of static electricity will be accumulated in body that when a person get outside everytime, he will get a shock.)
    I thought the tyres conduct because of breakdown. Not sure they are made conductive 😨 Do you have any source justifying it?
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  • Anoop Kumar

    Member • Apr 28, 2013

    lal
    I thought the tyres conduct because of breakdown. Not sure they are made conductive 😨 Do you have any source justifying it?
    See this:
    #-Link-Snipped-#

    There are some discussion that if lightening will strike then probably it will pass through lower chassis of cars instead of tires , But I am definitely sure that tyres are conductive to save from static electricity.
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  • lal

    Member • Apr 29, 2013

    Well, there isn't anything in the page you shared that claims a tyre is made good conductor of electricity. I understood it like, an earlier breakdown than the air makes the current take a path through the tyres rather than a spark from under the lower chassis.

    But why through the tyres?
    It can be seen that the metallic rims on which tyres are fixed are more closer to the ground rather than the base of chassis cabin. Dielectric strength is dependent on the distance, magnitude of voltage and the character of the material. Pure rubber has a higher dielectric strength than air. But as the distance between rims and ground is lower and the tyre is not purely rubber, but a mix of many things including a steel layer, a breakdown happens to the tyres before the air under the cabin and thus conduct electricity, eventually burning.
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  • Abhijit Dey

    Member • Apr 29, 2013

    What matters is the proximity from the object and the lightning source. The closest one gets hit first most of the time, but the weather isn't predictable always.

    And guys don't complicate so much, simply put, rubber is a bad conductor of electricity and hence the electric charge stops at the tyres. I had a report or documentary on Discovery, where a guy was inside the car when it was struck by lightning. Nothing happened, only the tyres burned up.

    And #-Link-Snipped-# in such a situation, staying inside the vehicle is the best option or if you're in the middle of a field, lying flat on the ground is an option.
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  • Anoop Kumar

    Member • Apr 29, 2013

    . Nothing happened, only the tyres burned up.
    Right. if large amount electricity have to pass through tire, it will burn down the it because of resistance. As I earlier said I have seen this live.
    Second, since chassis has large surface area there is more possibility that that lightening will breakthrough from chassis.
    If I am not wrong in lightening condition car will work like Tesla Cage of Death
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  • Abhijit Dey

    Member • Apr 29, 2013

    Just sharing a clip from the movie 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' which shows the Tesla Cage of Death. Smartly put.

    ​
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