What to do when we drive under a thunderstorm

A thunderstorm can be the most dangerous situation behind the wheel of your vehicle. 

Although there is no rainfall, it can be accompanied by a strong wind. Keep these tips in mind:

• It is important that, during a thunderstorm, drivers decrease their speed, being the ideal way to completely immobilize their vehicle. Although it depends on the vehicle, the beam is most likely to generate a voltaic arc between the tire and the ground, discharging and, generally when this occurs, the tires burst due to the temperature rise. 
• When stopping, it is convenient to choose a safe place away from metal fences or power lines. It is convenient to get away, also, from areas with puddles or water rafts and wet areas.
• Inside the vehicle, you should try not to come into contact with the metal parts of the vehicle, turn off the radio and close the windows. 
• It is necessary to wait for a little before leaving the car, since its metallic surface, as it happens to an airplane in flight to which a lightning strikes, has been charged, "polarized", of the electric field of the lightning. If the occupants get off, and the vehicle has not unloaded mass, they can close the circuit by touching the metal surface and stepping on the ground. It depends on the conductivity at that time, the resistance that is caused, etc., so that the consequences vary from a strong cramp to more serious injuries.
• If the vehicle has a ground wire, of those used to avoid static current and the annoying small cramps when touching the vehicle, it will be safer to get out of the vehicle because it will mean that the sheet tension has been discharged to the ground.

Also note that:

• Although some brands announce equal protection in convertible cars, Cabrio vehicles with hoods do not offer the same protection as a closed one against lightning.
• If you are in an urban center, the probability of being struck by lightning is practically zero, if not impossible. On out-of-town roads, the probability is no longer null, it rises, so you should place yourself somewhere where you are not the most likely ground for the lightning path, that is, you should not be the highest point. If you park next to a building that has a lightning rod, you can rest assured that the lightning will not fall on us.
• As pedestrians, it is advisable to get away from tractors if they do not have a cab, bicycles, and motorcycles, and in general, any metal structure that can serve as a ground for the path of lightning. It is best to be covered, but if it is impossible, we should not display metal elements or touch fences, bars, etc.

The car, the safest place

The rays carry currents of 30,000 A intensity and 800,000 voltage and generate energy in the form of heat of about 8,000 ° C.

Due to the so-called Faraday effect, more specifically its application in Physics called “Faraday Cage” cars are safe places in case of lightning since these will pass through the outside of the body and will reach the ground, which is your destination, without damage to the occupant.



The scientist Michael Faraday postulated, and proved himself undergoing the experiment, that the electric field within a closed and continuous conductive surface is null. He himself designed a large metal sphere through which he passed a high electric current and remained inside the sphere sitting in a wooden chair. He showed, with different measuring devices, and preserving his life, that the electric field was zero inside. 

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