Don't Drive Your Boxster In a Lightning Storm

[Lil bastard]

First off, Florida is NOT the lightning capitol... Arizona is... by far !!

Second, you are only less safe in a convertible if the lightning strikes you directly... and you are a poor conductor compared to all the metal in the car including the steel top frame which offers a much more conductive path to ground. And lightning, like all other forms of electricity, will literally take the path of least resistance.

So long as you're not touching any metal directly, your odds of being struck by lightning is only slightly shorter than if you were in an enclosed sedan.

Add to this that the car is lower than many other possible conductors, such as powerlines, sign posts, buildings, trees and such, this lowers the odds even further.

Now... if you were driving in an open, flat, area, and lightning strikes were numerous, it may be prudent to pull over, exit the car and lie on the ground. But frankly, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

[Sloan]

While its not a title that I want to fight for, several sources refer to Florida as the "lightning capital", including National Geographic: (Texas is #2)

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0522_030522_lightning.html

and there are others:

http://www.lightningcapitaloftheworld.com/

http://www.thecomputerwizard.biz/lightning.htm

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=101254&view=previous

http://www.accuweather.com/mt-news-blogs.asp?blog=sobel&partner=accuweather&pgUrl=/mtweb/content/sobel/archives/2008/06/floridalightning_capital_of_the_us.asp

http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/22102354.html

http://www.observernews.net/artman/publish/article_001601.shtml

[Brucelee]

The worst lightening storm I ever sat through was in the Charlotte airport one summer. Got totally black and then we just watched the lightning strikes for about a half an hour.

Quite a show, glad I was where it appeared to be safe! :dance:

[Quickurt]

Originally Posted by Lil bastard

Second, you are only less safe in a convertible if the lightning strikes you directly... and you are a poor conductor compared to all the metal in the car including the steel top frame which offers a much more conductive path to ground.

I was supposed to put the top up??

If you just go really, REALLY fast, the water never gets in the car......

I thought that's why we spend so much money on the high performance wet traction tires.......at least the wet traction better be your number one priority in this state!

[baseball]

Originally Posted by Lil bastard

So long as you're not touching any metal directly, your odds of being struck by lightning is only slightly shorter than if you were in an enclosed sedan.

Add to this that the car is lower than many other possible conductors, such as powerlines, sign posts, buildings, trees and such, this lowers the odds even further.

Got any data to back this up? Since you were wrong on the lighting strike capital, I'm worried this reasoning might make you a future candidate for a Darwin award

I couldn't find any examples of someone in a convertible suffering a lightning strike, but this guy caught in rush hour traffic on a motorcycle was struck and killed recently:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/9407981/detail.html

[987gator]

I guess I should garage the car from May to October each year as we get lightning every day in Orlando. That sucks. But I guess it is safer than walking in the thunderstorm with an umbrella.