"Litening strike victim"

[Wacker]

Hi all
Whilst out driving in the range rover today me and the mrs were hit by litening !
There was an almighty bang and the whole car shook, we were surounded by a mass of blue white light .
We just kept on driving a bit shaken up though.
No aparant damage to the wagon either!
It was just like being in a UFO type film.
Any of you had a simmilar expireance ?
Wack

[Dave Crampton]

Glad your still ok.

To be honist your safe in a car, surrounded by a large steel (unless you drive an Audi!!) box. The tyres should insulate you from the ground unless its raining. Obvioulsy if you are struck, the low resistivity of the cars body/chassy will conduct the current to ground as its lower than your bodies.

Will you be investing in new (thicker) footwell rubber car mats? Sick joke, for which I apologise in advance.

Dave C

[Wacker]

Thanks dave
It was tipping down at the time , we were both more starteled than anything , one hell of a bang!
I belive that one of the safest places is in a car, It is negativly charged and the electricity takes the route of less resistance, ie the metal and wet tyers rather than through the air of the cab. The danger so I belive is only if you are toutching the metal at the time, or have the windows down .(luckly we had just shut them coz of the driving rain)
wack

[Janos]

The car acts as a 'Faraday Cage' and so no current should flow inside it. Shouldn't even matter if you're touch the car or if you have the windows down. Although I'm not the man to test this hypothesis.

I was once in a plane which was struck by lightening. That was very similar experience (big bang and brown pants all round).

Laters,
Janos

[Steve S]

Glad you are ok mate I heard on the news a 14 year old in the West midlands died after being struck this am.

Safe diving,
Steve.

[daz]

Mental note to self.....

Don't stand to close to the big man in a storm

Look on the bright side Wack, at least you were not wandering around with those two bloody great big lightning conductors on your back!

Daz

[Noel Johnson]

Originally Posted by dcrampt

To be honest your safe in a car, surrounded by a large steel (unless you drive an Audi!!) box.

Oi, Dave Don't forget my beautifully designed Jag, if you could only imagine the amount of blood, sweat and... on second thoughts don't...

Glad to hear you're OK wack, it's a little scary isn't it. I was parked up once by a tree close to Birmingham airport waiting for the RAC and all I could describe it as was like a bomb explosion. Scared the crap out of me.

[Mark Davies]

Sounds like quite an experience - the kind you appreciate afterwards once you know you're still alive! Good story for down the pub at the weekend!

[Doug Parker]

Originally Posted by daz

Don't stand to close to the big man in a storm

It gets the taller one and not you, you'll be safe, it has another 3ft before it gets down to you.

[Wacker]

Thanks guysI think it scared the guy in the van behind us coz he droped back a fair way and maintained a large distance after that. Oh we were up on the cotswolds at the time.

Daz dont worry if you are near me in a storm I shall earth us by grabbing that nice handle between your valves on your twins!
wack