LOL: Cars are safe during lightening storm b/c of rubber tires.

Xenon14

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
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So I turn on RealTV, and there is some tornado story. The narrator/host says, "Cars are safe to be in during lightening b/c of rubber tires, but a Tornado is a completely different story."

I can't believe this asinine logic still makes sense to adults. That's like saying, "People can't get hit by lightening b/c of rubber on their sneakers." LOL.

The reason it is safe to be in a car during a lightening storm is that when lightening strikes the car, the metal of the car's exterior/frame absorbs the lightening strike, leaving the passengers safe from harms way, so long as the passenger doesn't have their finger in the cigarette outlet...convertables need not apply.
 

Xenon14

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: Cuda1447
your point?

The reason it is safe to be in a car during a lightening storm is that when lightening strikes the car, the metal of the car's exterior/frame absorbs the lightening strike, leaving the passengers safe from harms way, so long as the passenger doesn't have their finger in the cigarette outlet...convertables need not apply.
 

Shockwave

Banned
Sep 16, 2000
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It is safe idiot. Take a guy put him in the car. Then take a guy and have him stand barefoot holding an 8 foot metal pool.
Which is safe?
Ergo, cars are safe. :D
 

loup garou

Lifer
Feb 17, 2000
35,132
1
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Originally posted by: Xenon14
Originally posted by: Cuda1447
your point?

The reason it is safe to be in a car during a lightening storm is that when lightening strikes the car, the metal of the car's exterior/frame absorbs the lightening strike, leaving the passengers safe from harms way, so long as the passenger doesn't have their finger in the cigarette outlet...convertables need not apply.
You are correct in saying that the rubber tires have no effect, but the metal of the frame doesn't "absorb" jack. It simply conducts the electricity to the ground.
 

Cuda1447

Lifer
Jul 26, 2002
11,757
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I understand your statement, and agree... Still missing your point though?


I don't make random threads saying my wallets made of leather, and then explain why.
 

Xenon14

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: Shockwave
It is safe idiot. Take a guy put him in the car. Then take a guy and have him stand barefoot holding an 8 foot metal pool.
Which is safe?
Ergo, cars are safe. :D

Learn to to read. I do say that cars are safe. And I explain the reason behind why they are safe. The reason is not b/c of rubber tires. Cross-apply the "idiot" comment to yourself.
 

Xenon14

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: Cuda1447
I understand your statement, and agree... Still missing your point though?


I don't make random threads saying my wallets made of leather, and then explain why.

Fair enough. Based on the idiotic commentary of the host and Shockwave, my point is......<drum roll>......... people are morons.
 

WinkOsmosis

Banned
Sep 18, 2002
13,990
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Cars are safe in lightning storms. Cars have rubber tires. Therefore cars are safe in lightning storms because they have rubber tires. It's not that hard to understand.


















:D
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,512
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Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: Xenon14
Originally posted by: Cuda1447
your point?

The reason it is safe to be in a car during a lightening storm is that when lightening strikes the car, the metal of the car's exterior/frame absorbs the lightening strike, leaving the passengers safe from harms way, so long as the passenger doesn't have their finger in the cigarette outlet...convertables need not apply.
You are correct in saying that the rubber tires have no effect, but the metal of the frame doesn't "absorb" jack. It simply conducts the electricity to the ground.
Thanks. I'm glad someone else caught this. :)

ZV
 

Heisenberg

Lifer
Dec 21, 2001
10,621
1
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Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: Xenon14
Originally posted by: Cuda1447
your point?

The reason it is safe to be in a car during a lightening storm is that when lightening strikes the car, the metal of the car's exterior/frame absorbs the lightening strike, leaving the passengers safe from harms way, so long as the passenger doesn't have their finger in the cigarette outlet...convertables need not apply.
You are correct in saying that the rubber tires have no effect, but the metal of the frame doesn't "absorb" jack. It simply conducts the electricity to the ground.
True, but it's a bit more complicated that than. The car's body acts as a Faraday cage, and so the eletricity travels on the "skin" of the car, not through the passenger compartment.
 

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
3
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Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: Xenon14
Originally posted by: Cuda1447
your point?

The reason it is safe to be in a car during a lightening storm is that when lightening strikes the car, the metal of the car's exterior/frame absorbs the lightening strike, leaving the passengers safe from harms way, so long as the passenger doesn't have their finger in the cigarette outlet...convertables need not apply.
You are correct in saying that the rubber tires have no effect, but the metal of the frame doesn't "absorb" jack. It simply conducts the electricity to the ground.
How exactly does it conduct the electricity to the ground when the tires are insulators and there are no conductive materials in contact with the ground.

EDIT: Nevermind, I get it. If it can pass through miles of air, it can certainly pass through 6 inches of air between the bottom of the car and the ground.

 

Papagayo

Platinum Member
Jul 28, 2003
2,302
22
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The cars are safe because of the rubber tires..

for example:

if you had a flat tire and the rims are touching the ground and your car gets hit by a lightening, there is a good chance that the car will burn or explode. Because the car cannot handle all the electricity at one time. Since it cannot handle all the power, it will heat up and ignite the gasoline.

I think.....
 

Electric Amish

Elite Member
Oct 11, 1999
23,578
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Originally posted by: Shanti
Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: Xenon14
Originally posted by: Cuda1447
your point?

The reason it is safe to be in a car during a lightening storm is that when lightening strikes the car, the metal of the car's exterior/frame absorbs the lightening strike, leaving the passengers safe from harms way, so long as the passenger doesn't have their finger in the cigarette outlet...convertables need not apply.
You are correct in saying that the rubber tires have no effect, but the metal of the frame doesn't "absorb" jack. It simply conducts the electricity to the ground.
How exactly does it conduct the electricity to the ground when the tires are insulators and there are no conductive materials in contact with the ground.

There's so much voltage in a lightning strike that jumping the gap between the car frame and the earth is no big deal. There is not need for direct contact.
 

radioouman

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2002
8,632
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Originally posted by: Heisenberg
Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: Xenon14
Originally posted by: Cuda1447
your point?

The reason it is safe to be in a car during a lightening storm is that when lightening strikes the car, the metal of the car's exterior/frame absorbs the lightening strike, leaving the passengers safe from harms way, so long as the passenger doesn't have their finger in the cigarette outlet...convertables need not apply.
You are correct in saying that the rubber tires have no effect, but the metal of the frame doesn't "absorb" jack. It simply conducts the electricity to the ground.
True, but it's a bit more complicated that than. The car's body acts as a Faraday cage, and so the eletricity travels on the "skin" of the car, not through the passenger compartment.

You sir, are correct... This is the same principle that says that you can wrap a stick of RAM with aluminum foil to prevent a static discharge from going through the RAM.
 

Spencer278

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 2002
3,637
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Originally posted by: Shanti
Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: Xenon14
Originally posted by: Cuda1447
your point?

The reason it is safe to be in a car during a lightening storm is that when lightening strikes the car, the metal of the car's exterior/frame absorbs the lightening strike, leaving the passengers safe from harms way, so long as the passenger doesn't have their finger in the cigarette outlet...convertables need not apply.
You are correct in saying that the rubber tires have no effect, but the metal of the frame doesn't "absorb" jack. It simply conducts the electricity to the ground.
How exactly does it conduct the electricity to the ground when the tires are insulators and there are no conductive materials in contact with the ground.

EDIT: Nevermind, I get it. If it can pass through miles of air, it can certainly pass through 6 inches of air between the bottom of the car and the ground.


Tires make crappy insullators when you have a few thounsands volts. The air is also an insulator but that doesn't stop lighting and the air is more then a few inches thick.
 

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
3
81
In summary, a car is not a perfectly safe place from lightning. The rubber
tires really do not have anything to do with the protection that you get
inside of a car. The lightning bolt has probably sparked across a mile of
air already by the time it reaches a car. If the car is hit by an
especially strong bolt, there will be significant, though probably not
fatal, electrical effects on the occupants inside the car. Still, a car is
a much better place to be than almost any other place that I can think of.

From This page
 

dman

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 1999
9,110
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/True Story:

A lightning bolt hit a tree by my driveway. A branch cracked off where it (presumably) hit. Electricity (presumably) flowed through the tree, followed a root, and where the root (apparently ended) blew a chunk of concrete out of my driveway (not completely through), but, sort of an inverted cone shape, with the wide part being the surface.

My car was parked on the driveway. After the storm I went to start my car. Check engine soon light came on. Did a diagnostic and found out that the Powertrain control module was fried. Inside my house many electronics were damaged. None of them were directly hit by lightning.

I don't think I would have been in grave danger had I been in the car during that strike, but, I would not feel invincible in a car either--I can only imagine the damage that would have been done to the car had it been directly hit. I imagine there'd be some shock to the occupants as well... I would assume not lethal but maybe something.
 

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
all you need is the handheld lightning detector.

"here, you hold the detector and when the lightning strikes it, the meter will show it."
 

MaxDepth

Diamond Member
Jun 12, 2001
8,757
43
91
Yes, but what if wearing my my Johnny Junior Spaceman metal rocketcap and shoes?




What??? Don't tell me I am the only one that does...
:p
 

ThePresence

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
27,727
16
81
Originally posted by: dman
/True Story:

A lightning bolt hit a tree by my driveway. A branch cracked off where it (presumably) hit. Electricity (presumably) flowed through the tree, followed a root, and where the root (apparently ended) blew a chunk of concrete out of my driveway (not completely through), but, sort of an inverted cone shape, with the wide part being the surface.

My car was parked on the driveway. After the storm I went to start my car. Check engine soon light came on. Did a diagnostic and found out that the Powertrain control module was fried. Inside my house many electronics were damaged. None of them were directly hit by lightning.

I don't think I would have been in grave danger had I been in the car during that strike, but, I would not feel invincible in a car either--I can only imagine the damage that would have been done to the car had it been directly hit. I imagine there'd be some shock to the occupants as well... I would assume not lethal but maybe something.

Pics?