Will Rubber Tires Protect You From Lightning

Myth 6 if you re outside in a storm lie flat on the ground.

Will rubber tires protect you from lightning.

Myth 8 wearing metal on your body attracts lightning. Ironically it s not the rubber tires insulating the car but rather the conductive metal framing which protects you by conducting the electricity around the vehicle and its occupants. Most people believe the rubber tires on a car prevent lightning strikes. Myth 4 if you don t see rain or clouds you re safe.

So the rubber tires on your car do not protect you from lightning they simply ground your vehicle so that the electricity has a place to exit. Rubber does not protect you from lightning. Bolts from the blue can strike 10 15 miles from the thunderstorm. Rubber soled shoes and rubber tires provide no protection from lightning.

Rubber tires on a car protect you from lightning by insulating you from the ground. Myth 5 a car s rubber tires will protect you from lightning. Myth 7 if you touch a lightning victim you ll be electrocuted. However the steel frame of a hard topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal.

Here s where your grandmother is right though your car is a fairly safe place to be in a thunderstorm but for a different reason entirely. Rubber is indeed an electrical insulator but your shoes or bike tires for instance are way too thin to protect you from a lightning strike.