Nothing really happens to the person in a car when the vehicle gets struck by lightning as long as they remain in the car. More often, the lightning hits the car body and you get fairly little damage, at least to the body of the car. Once struck, the people inside will remain safe. 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. 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. The answer, gleaned from anecdotal observations, is all the way from "Nothing" to "Wow! Lightning had hit a station-owned utility pole with an STL dish. 1: Lightning struck the pole, cutting a deep gouge. Lightning that hit cars most often go from the ground and up to the clouds, taking the route with least resistance. Electrically speaking, at lightning's higher frequencies, currents are carried mostly on the outside of conducting objects. 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. Fig. On this one, everything was fried,” said Davis. When I was struck my car shut off and brake pedal became stiff and wouldn't move at all. Most often you see these little pinholes of damage near the roof and near the bottom of the car. The car's body acts like a faraday cage. When a car gets struck by lightning, you will see a bright flash and sparks. my car is a disaster." “The car took a direct hit; it must have had an enormity of electricity. What Happens When a Car is Struck By Lightning? Fig. Meaning that such a device as the one you suggest will encourage lightning to hit your car, increasing the probability to get hit significantly. Last night my car took a direct hit from lightning. . When lightning strikes a car, the electricity from the lightning gets discharged by the car's body not the tires. 1 shows that lightning chewed through the top of the pole to get to the STL dish and transmission line. . I had my foot on the brake and was waiting at a red light when my car was struck by lightning. Most lightning incidents to cars result in one or more flat tires and damage to the electrical system, but no injury to the occupants. The vehicle’s engine continued to run but when the bolt hit it knocked out … What happens when lightning strikes a vehicle? If lightning does hit your car, it's a good idea to stop and check the vehicle. 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. It hit right above the driver side door frame. 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