National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Why is an enclosed metal vehicle safe to be in when struck by lightning?

The reason why an enclosed metal vehicle is safe to be in when struck by lightning is the fact that its' exterior is made of metal. When lightning makes contact with the metal surface, the electrical current travels across the exterior metal skin of the vehicle and then down into the ground. See the photo below.

This explains why convertibles, or any vehicle which does not have a metal top (such as golf carts) is dangerous to be in when struck by lightning. If lightning strikes a convertible, the electric current from the flash could easily travel into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Do the tires protect the car or me in any way? The tires on a vehicle have nothing to do with why a vehicle is a safe place to be during lightning activity. You could be in a vehicle which has no tires on it and you would be just as safe. Rubber tires also do not "protect" the car from being hit by lightning. Remember, lightning travels an average of 7 miles from the cloud to the surface of the earth. A half inch or so of rubber compound will not stop a lightning flash.

It is interesting to note that vehicles struck by lightning may have their tires damaged by the lightning flash. Some of the tires may be flat by the next day as the lightning flash produces small tiny holes into the tires. Of course, the vehicles electronics may also be severely damaged by the lightning flash. There has also been a case where a vehicles' windshield was broken by a lightning flash, but the occupant was not injured.

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