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Name: Monica
Status: student
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
I am a Defensive driving teacher. How would you talk to people about hot wires falling on their car? Can they touch any thing in their car as long as they are in the car, (like seat belts, will, door, etc.) or will they get shock?


Replies:
Should not be a big deal in any case, because the frame and body of a car are a "Faraday cage," inside which there is no electric field. if they are inside the car and the car contacts a hot wire, they should try to get the car OFF the wire. Touching anything outside the car would be a very bad idea. That also means do not leave the car until it is no longer hot. This works for metallic cars only.

Richard Barrans
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Wyoming

I was always taught that you can touch anything as long as it is not metal and/or connected to the frame. That being said, I would never do anything that would remotely make my body a possible path for electricity. The safest bet would be to touch nothing and just use the cell phone if it still works and call for help.

Robert Avakian


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