Why are you safe in a struck car if not from rubber tires?

[IAmDOW]

So I just learned Gausse's Law and it makes me think: People always say you're safe in a car if it get struck by lighting because of the rubber tires (odd, because tired are like 90%carbon) but isn't it also because a car is a Gaussian sphere? The interior is insulated, sort of, right? If this is true, is the protection from a car acting as a Gaussian Sphere greater or less than the little amount of rubber in the tires?

 

[BvU]

Hello Dow, welcome to PF !

Rubber tyres is a myth. Faraday cage (so a plastic car doesn't help...) is the protection. Insulation helps.
here, http://www.weather.com/storms/tornado/news/what-happens-when-lightning-hits-car-20140625, and here. here a little

 

[anorlunda]

Think of people in an airplane struck by lightning. I never heard of any of them being shocked.

 

[IAmDOW]

Thanks for the info!

 

[IAmDOW]

Think of people in an airplane struck by lightning. I never heard of any of them being shocked.

Think of people in an airplane struck by lightning. I never heard of any of them being shocked.

My thoughts exactly! Hey, this physics stuff is kinda cool...