When lightning strikes a car, the electricity from the lightning gets discharged by the car's body not the tires. In a vivid reminder of just how powerful Mother Nature can be, a News 5 viewer sent us this video of lightning striking a car on I-90. The heat from a lightning strike is sufficient to partially melt the antenna of a vehicle and can cause what seems like a small explosion of sparks as tiny fragments of metal melt and burn. A direct strike to your car will flow through the frame of the vehicle and usually jump over or through the tires to reach ground. Lightning had hit a station-owned utility pole with an STL dish. What happens when lightning strikes a vehicle? 1 shows that lightning chewed through the top of the pole to get to the STL dish and transmission line. On this one, everything was fried,” said Davis. What a mess . The lightning hit the left rear corner of the luggage rack on the roof of the car, effectively welding the metal latch that allowed the rear cross member to be adjusted fore and aft. Nothing really happens to the person in a car when the vehicle gets struck by lightning as long as they remain in the car. Last night my car took a direct hit from lightning. The vehicle’s engine continued to run but when the bolt hit it knocked out … It hit right above the driver side door frame. The car's body acts like a faraday cage. . When a car gets struck by lightning, you will see a bright flash and sparks. Electrically speaking, at lightning's higher frequencies, currents are carried mostly on the outside of conducting objects. my car is a disaster." You might hear the quick and loud thunder following the strike. Older cars tend to fare better in lightning strikes because their electrical systems are much simpler and therefore more rugged. Fig. Most often you see these little pinholes of damage near the roof and near the bottom of the car. The answer, gleaned from anecdotal observations, is all the way from "Nothing" to "Wow! What Happens When a Car is Struck By Lightning? The other day, we posted about tornado safety while driving.In addition to tornadoes, Kansas oftentimes is the recipient of epic thunderstorms with lots of lightning strikes. I had my foot on the brake and was waiting at a red light when my car was struck by lightning. Lightning that hit cars most often go from the ground and up to the clouds, taking the route with least resistance. 1: Lightning struck the pole, cutting a deep gouge. When I was struck my car shut off and brake pedal became stiff and wouldn't move at all. If lightning does hit your car, it's a good idea to stop and check the vehicle. “The car took a direct hit; it must have had an enormity of electricity. 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