Driving a car in the rain will be struck by lightning?

Is sitting in the car being struck by lightning? This must be the concern of many people in this rainy season.

According to the study, there are 15 to 2 million lightning bolts hitting the ground every year, the thickness of the lightning bolt is about 5cm, the flash intensity of each bolt is equivalent to a 100W lamp used for more than 3 months , lightning speed of 90,000 miles per second (144,000 km / sec), temperatures up to 27,760 ^o C. Operation takes place during heavy rain and heavy winds, causing many fatal cases. For example, in 2016 in the United States, at least 20 people were killed by lightning.

Scientists at the Vietnam Institute of Technical Physics say that cars are often made of metal on the same principle as a cage . Its application is to protect equipment, objects or people under the action of electric fields. When an object is inside the cage, the external electric field will not work on it.

When struck by lightning, electric current will travel around the vehicle to the ground, not entering the vehicle.

Car body is considered as Faraday cage to protect sparks, lightning.The person sitting in the car with lightning will not be affected . When struck by lightning, electric current will travel around the vehicle to the ground, but cannot penetrate inside the vehicle.

However, according to the National Thunder Safety Authority (NLS), there are now many people who believe that sitting in a car when it rains with thunder is absolutely safe because they rely on Faraday cage theory above, and because tires can isolate thunder. But it is not so. Although there has been no record of the lightning strike in a car, it is not dangerous.

Scientists warn, to ensure the absolute safety of people and equipment inside the car, when it rains, stop and grab the roadside, turn off the engine and wait for the rain to stop, run out of lightning.

People sitting in the car should put their hands together, do not touch the metal, the car, the door, the handle, the steering wheel, the gear lever . Heavy machine tools such as cranes, rollers, excavators, compactor . is considered safe when there is lightning, but the driver should get out of the car and stay in a safe place. Do not operate lawn mowers, harvester or golf vehicles. If the device detonates, lightning will strike directly, causing fire and explosion, especially electrical systems.