Do cars have lightning rods?
2 Answers
Cars do not have lightning rods. Here are the reasons why cars do not have lightning rods: 1. The car body is made of metal, which provides shielding. Even if lightning strikes the car, it will not harm the occupants. Therefore, the car cabin is an ideal place to avoid lightning strikes. 2. The tires of the car have excellent insulation properties. If lightning strikes the car and charges it, the current cannot form a circuit to the ground, posing no danger to people or the car. 3. The tires may have water or other conductive substances on their surface, and some are equipped with anti-static grounding wires. When lightning strikes the car, the current tends to flow along the metal surface, causing no harm to people. The current is conducted through the car's surface to the tires with water or other conductive substances, or through the anti-static grounding wire to the ground, forming a circuit without posing any danger to people or the car.
Cars themselves don't have dedicated lightning rods, but you don't need to worry too much if parked in an open area. An old master once taught me that when lightning strikes, the entire car body acts like a big metal cage, with the current running along the surface into the ground. The safest practice during thunderstorms is not to touch door handles, keep windows tightly closed, and retract radio antennas for extra safety. I once encountered a thunderstorm on the highway and took shelter in the car, hearing crackling sounds from the metal body, but remained completely unharmed. Nowadays, many new energy vehicles have large solar panels on the roof, so it's important to avoid installing metal roof racks or other protruding accessories.
