What happens when a car gets hit by lightining?

fisheyesrgood

The car becomes possessed and does evil things. The headlights turn red and teeth grow out of the grill. The tires turn into claws and it eats small children and the elderly. The first time you sit in it the seat belt latches itself and it won't let you out of the car and you can't make it stop even if you remove the keys. The radio comes on and goes through the stations randomly. It will start to drive by itself increasing in speed up the breaking point of the speedometer and drive off a cliff into the ocean killing you. Be afraid be very afraid.

CwboyBill

Here on the coast we get lightning claims every month. Sometimes it does very little damage, sometimes the pulse ruins every electronic gizmo in the whole vehicle. I once inspected a Pontiac that caught a lightning bolt through the radio antenna -- we knew this is where it came in because about 1/3 of the whip was MELTED off and the rigt rear tire had a four inch hole blasted in the sidewall. Stereo, engine control computer, body module, antilock system, airbag module and some relays were toasted. Ugh....

Scott H

Everything within a 100 meter radius dies instantly.

Doug K

Well, when my truck got struck, I was sitting at a stoplight during a Tucson thunderstorm. It left a mark in the paint (about the size of a half-dollar) about half-way down the driver side bed-rail that looks like someone burnt it. Other than that, it didn't affect it one bit. Of course it is a 1969 model, so there are no electronics other than the radio to damage.

Good luck, and watch out for those flash floods!

graffiti62

Cars getting hit by lightning don't happen very frequently due to the fact that cars are not connected to the ground by a conductor. The only parts that touches the ground are the tires, which are made of rubber, an obvious insulator.

In the rare event that they do get struck, you can have anything from a burn on the paint all the way to a total electrical failure. Damage from lightning is covered under your comprehensive insurance, as is hail damage, vandalism, theft, etc. Comprehensive is inexspensive to add to your policy and is very much worth it.

oklatom

Sometimes nothing, sometimes it fries every circuit in the vehicle.

Paul W

Well the driver does not get electrocuted but....the driver can go temporarily blind while driving from the flash. The rubber on the wheels will ground the car and help the electricity move through. It will probably fry your electronics and I heard it makes your tires go flat after a few hours. I personally ran over a powerline on accident and there was a flash over my whole car, people in the back seat said it came from there side, i thought it was in front, the thing mustve went over the whole car with a flash. but nothing happend at all. Just depends i guess.

dead7

could be nothing as in the car was parked to frying the electronics (EMP) to the car going up in flames there are too many factors here to give a basic answer ie dry wet soaked where hit running etc I saw on in lawton ok tire blown and the paint was damaged where it was hit on the fender kind of like lighting hitting a person some mild burns to death

UCANTCME

A car is rather safe in a thunderstorm. However, this is not because the tires ground you, but rather they serve as an insulation - a more difficult path for electrons to run. Lightning will take the path of least electrical resistance. It is likely that that would be a path that didn't require traveling through the tires.

So to answer you question maybe nothing but it would be a good idea just to have the vehicles electrical system checked out anyway.

antdak

If it is damaged and want to get fixed through insurance, it would be concidered an act of God. Most companys will not fix under those conditions.

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