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Tricks for safe driving in thunderstorms

Driving in a thunderstorm can be a very dangerous situation when we get behind the wheel. Even if there is no precipitation, the weather conditions can be accompanied by a strong wind that makes it difficult to drive our car. From Fran Velasco Driving School in Seville, we have received the following tips to combat thunderstorms:

1) It is important that, when driving in a thunderstorm, drivers should slow down. Ideally, your car should be completely immobilized. Although it depends on the vehicle, the lightning will most likely generate an arc between the tire and the ground. And generally, when this happens, the tires burst due to the temperature rise.

2) When stopping, it is advisable to choose a safe place. Specifically, we must choose a location away from metal fences or power lines.. In addition, we must stay away from wet areas, with puddles or pools of water.

3) Inside the vehicle, you must be careful not to come into contact with the metal parts of the vehicle. You should also turn off the radio and close the windows.

4) It is necessary to wait a little before getting out of the car. Its metallic surface, like that of an airplane in flight struck by lightning, has been charged. That is to say, polarized by the electric field of the lightning.

If the occupants get out and the car has not discharged, they can close the circuit by touching the metal surface and stepping on the ground. Everything will depend on the conductivity at that moment and the resistance caused. Therefore, the consequences will vary from a strong cramp to more serious injuries.

5) If the vehicle has a ground wire, it will be safer to get out of the vehicle. With these, the tension of the sheet metal has been discharged to ground. Thus we will avoid static current and annoying small cramps. This will make driving in a thunderstorm safer.

6) Be careful when driving convertibles! Lightning protection in convertibles is not the same as in a closed car.

7) In addition, if you are in an urban area, the probability of being struck by lightning is practically nil (not to say impossible). On roads outside of towns, the probability rises. Therefore, in that case you should be somewhere where you are not the most likely grounding point for a lightning strike. That is, when driving in a thunderstorm, you should not be the highest point. Likewise, if you park next to a building with a lightning rod, you can rest assured.8) As pedestrians, you should stay away from tractors if they do not have a cab, bicycles and motorcycles. In general, do not park next to a metallic structure that can serve as a grounding point. The best thing is to be under cover, but if it is impossible, we should not exhibit metallic elements or touch fences, grids, etc.

The car, the safest place

Lightning carries currents of 30,000 A of intensity and 800,000 V of voltage. In addition, they generate energy in the form of heat of about 8,000 ºC. The car is one of the safest places to be exposed to lightning. In fact, this phenomenon is explained by the so-called Faraday effect, more specifically by its physical application known as the "Faraday cage".

Cars are safe places in the event of thunderstorms, as lightning will pass through the outside of the bodywork and reach the ground without harm to the occupant. Michael Faraday postulated that the electric field inside a closed, continuous conducting surface is zero. He experimented on a large metal sphere. He passed a high electric current through it and remained inside while sitting in a wooden chair. In short, Faraday demonstrated with various measuring devices and while preserving his life, that the electric field was zero inside it.

If you want to continue improving your driving, be sure to read the articles How to drive like a professional before, during and after getting behind the wheel.