Can Lightning Strike on a Car Kill You?

[Jim Kata]

If lightning strikes your car, would it kill you? I understand that you are in a Faraday cage so you are protected from being electrocuted, but would the sheer heat cook you?

 

[Antiphon]

A car is only a partial faraday cage. You can still be electrocuted but it's a lot less likely than if you're outside the car.

 

[cjl]

A lightning bolt wouldn't actually raise the temperature inside the car very much - most of the energy would simply pass around the car.

 

[cragar]

watch this video they have a guy get into a car and hit it with 800,000 volts . And its a pretty large arc, they are trying to simulate lightning hitting a car.
really cool video.
http://www.flixxy.com/top-gear-car-lightning.htm

 

[Ranger Mike]

i was in a 1969 Plymouth Fury towing our drag car to the drag strip and the car was hit by lightning. The radio antenna caught the charge. the antenna was blown to the pavement and richochetted back up and put a nice hole in the aluminum fender of the 1963 Plymouth drag car we were towing...maybe that's why i and so messed up?