The chance of being struck by lightning is rare, but it is undoubtedly something most — if not all — people fear.
Now, imagine a driver’s fright when they saw a car in front of them on a Malaysia highway struck by lightning amid heavy rain.
Source: Xiaohongshu
An 18-second dashcam footage of the incident went viral on Xiaohongshu earlier this week.
Bizarrely, the silver Perodua Alza seemed unscathed and continued to drive following the strike.
While it was immediately unclear whether the passengers were hurt, the driver of the affected vehicle signalled to shift into the left lane shortly after the strike.
According to the New Straits Times, the incident occurred on the North–South Expressway near Exit 115, the Rawang (South) Interchange.
Befuddled by the incident, netizens jokingly speculated why that particular car was struck by lightning.
One commenter mused if the driver had done something terrible to deserve such a dramatic punishment.
Source: Xiaohongshu
Meanwhile, several users also worried about the well-being of the car’s passengers.
In response, some netizens claimed that the passengers were likely unhurt due to the Faraday Cage effect — where an enclosure shields its contents from external electric fields.
Source: Xiaohongshu
Explanations of the Faraday Cage note that vehicles with full metal bodies allow electrical current to flow through them, leaving the hollow spaces inside them free of electricity.
The United States National Weather Service also explains that cars are not especially prone to lightning strikes.
They are just as susceptible to being hit by lightning as anything outdoors, including trees and people.
Also read: ‘Something major is gonna happen’: Eerie purple lightning & clouds in JB leaves netizens shook
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Featured image adapted from Xiaohongshu.