During a thunderstorm you are travelling in a car. What is the safest action to protect yourself from lightning?

Introduction / Context:
Thunderstorms and lightning can be dangerous, and basic safety knowledge is important for everyone. Many people travel by car during such weather conditions. This question tests whether you understand why the interior of a closed car is usually a safe place during lightning, thanks to the physics of electric fields and conductors.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• There is a thunderstorm with the possibility of lightning strikes.
• You are already inside a car when the storm occurs.
• The car has a metal body and closed windows, which is typical of most vehicles.

Concept / Approach:
A car with a conducting metal body acts as a kind of Faraday cage. When lightning strikes the car, the electric charge flows over the outer surface of the metal body and then to the ground, rather than passing through the interior passenger space. As long as the occupants remain inside, not touching metal parts connecting to the exterior, they are usually safe. The dangerous situations are standing in open ground, near tall objects like trees or poles, or touching conductors that can carry the lightning current through the body.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that lightning tends to strike tall or isolated objects and follow conductive paths to ground. Step 2: A car body made of metal provides a continuous conducting shell around the occupants. Step 3: If lightning strikes the car, current flows around the outer surface of the metal and to the ground, keeping the interior relatively safe. Step 4: Therefore, the safest action is to remain inside the car with windows closed and avoid touching exposed metal parts.

Verification / Alternative check:
Safety guidelines from meteorological and disaster management agencies often recommend that during lightning storms, one should stay inside fully enclosed vehicles rather than standing under trees or in open fields. The idea of the vehicle acting as a protective cage is well established and used as a standard precaution in many countries.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Get out of the car and lie flat on the ground: Lying flat can increase the risk of ground current passing through the body and is not recommended when a safer shelter is already available. Abandon the car and take shelter under a nearby tree: Trees are often struck by lightning, and standing under one is dangerous due to side flashes and ground currents. Touch the nearest electric pole: Electric poles are tall conductors and can channel lightning, making them very unsafe contact points.

Common Pitfalls:
Many people wrongly believe that staying inside a car is dangerous simply because it has metal. The key point is that the metal shell protects the interior by directing current around it. Another mistake is to assume that lying directly on wet ground is safer than staying in a car, which is not true in this situation. Always seek a proper enclosed shelter during thunderstorms.

Final Answer:
The safest action during a thunderstorm when you are already in a car is to remain inside the closed car.