# AI advises getting out of a car during a lightning storm because rubber tires insulate (conductive chassis myth)

- **ID:** `disaster/lightning-vehicle-tire-myth`
- **Domain:** disaster
- **Category:** life_threatening
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 85%

## Root Cause

A car's rubber tires do not provide significant insulation; the vehicle's metal chassis acts as a Faraday cage, conducting lightning around the occupants. Exiting the car exposes you to direct strike and ground current.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| NOAA Lightning Safety 2024 | active | — | — |
| NFPA 780 Standard for Lightning Protection | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Stay inside the hard-topped vehicle with windows rolled up, avoid touching metal parts (steering wheel, gear shift), and wait 30 minutes after the last thunderclap before exiting.** (95% success)
   ```
   Stay inside the hard-topped vehicle with windows rolled up, avoid touching metal parts (steering wheel, gear shift), and wait 30 minutes after the last thunderclap before exiting.
   ```
2. **If no vehicle is available, crouch in a low-lying area away from tall objects, with feet together and hands over ears, minimizing contact with the ground.** (70% success)
   ```
   If no vehicle is available, crouch in a low-lying area away from tall objects, with feet together and hands over ears, minimizing contact with the ground.
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — Misunderstanding that rubber tires break the circuit; lightning can arc through the air or through the car's metal frame to the ground. (75% fail)
- **** — Assuming a convertible or soft-top car offers the same protection; it does not, as the Faraday cage requires a continuous metal roof. (60% fail)