2014 International Conference on Lightning Protection (ICLP), Shanghai, China

Accident of Automobile Due to Lightning

Kazuo Yamamoto Yuta Naito and Shunichi Yanagawa

Dep. of Electrical Engeneering Shoden Co., Ltd.
Chubu University Chiba, Japan
Aichi, Japan
kyamamoto@mem.iee.or.jp

Naoto Takahashi Michihiro Matsui

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Franklin Japan Co., Ltd.
Tochigi, Japan Kanagawa, Japan

Abstract-Many kinds of electronic equipment have been used in
recent automobiles. Eco-friendly automobiles such as electric,
fuel-cell and hybrid vehicles have spread
automobiles are usually sensitive to electromagnetic disturbance
caused by lightning and so on. Therefore, the authors have
proposed the necessity of the establishment
protection methodologies for automobiles so far. Right in the
middle of our research of lightning protection for automobiles,
we have heard the fire accident of an automobile in Kanto
district in Japan. Right after hearing the
interviewed the fire fighters about their field survey; we also have
investigated the scene of the accident and burned automobile
ourselves. In this paper, the results of
investigation have been discussed.
Keywords- lightning; fire accident; automobile; LLS
I. INTRODUCTION
With the spread of eco-friendly automobiles such as electric,
fuel-cell and hybrid (electric and gasoline) vehicles, many
kinds of electronic equipment have been used; and
communication and control systems have been complicated in
recent automobiles. Those automobiles are usually sensitive to
electromagnetic disturbance caused by lightning and so on.
We have presented the statistical data of lightning accidents
on automobiles [1], and proposed the necessity of the
establishment of lightning protection methodologies for
automobiles so far. In some technical papers, lightning
protections have been researched [2, 3]. However, it is not
enough to say that the lightning protection methodologies for
automobiles have been established, the authors have been
researched the lightning phenomena and its protection methods
for automobiles. Specially, there are papers that represent the
transient magnetic fields in and in the vicinity of an automobile
caused by lightning strike [4-6].
Right in the middle of our research of lightning protection
for automobiles, we have heard the fire accident of an
automobile in Kanto district in Japan. Right after hearing the
news, we have interviewed the fire fighters about their field
survey; we also have investigated the scene of the accident and
burned automobile ourselves. In this paper, the results of the
rapidly. Those interview and investigation have been discussed.
II. INTERVIEWS AND INVESTIGATIONS
of lightning
A. Interviews
We have interviewed the fire fighters at the fire station that
news, we have has jurisdiction over the area around the scene of the accident.
The contents of the interviews are as follows.
the interview and (l) The fighters had the notice of the accident at I :21 am on
July 27th, 2013. The accident has been occurred at the
parking place (1065-14 Tamado, Chikuzei, Ibaragi, Japan).
A north neighbor of the accident scene made a phone call
to the nearest fire station after recognizing the fire.
(2) At that time, thunderstorms occurred around the accident
scene. Some trees had also lightning strikes.
(3) The owner of the damaged automobile was in a restaurant
near the accident scene. The accident had occurred one
hour later after parking. Therefore, it is little possibility
that other troubles made the fire accident.
(4) Another automobile was parking at about 15 m north from
the damaged automobile. However, the automobile didn't
have any lightning.
(5) The attachment points of the lightning were the left rear
portion of the roof. Scars of the lightning attachments are
confirmed (See Fig. 8).
(6) The engine room was awfully burned. Therefore, it was
impossible to specify the ignition point in the engine room
(See Fig. 6 and 7).
(7) The damaged automobile was parked at No. 3 of the
parking lot (See Fig. 3 and 4).
(8) Car-stops at No. 3 are melted by the fire (See Fig. 3 and 4).

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(9) There was no such fire accident of automobile within the
sphere of jurisdiction of the fire station for twenty years.

B. Investigations at the scene of the accident

Fig. 1 shows the place of the accident. That area is inland,
and comparatively many lightning occurs in summer. The
Isokeraunic level is about 30. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged map
around the accident scene. The pictures in Fig. 3 are
surrounding area of the accident scene. There is no tall (a) South (b) East
structure or tree around the accident scene. Therefore, it's not to
be wondered that lightning attached to the automobile parked
around the accident scene. The house in Fig. 3(c) is the
restaurant where the owner was in the accident.

(c) West (d) North

Figure 3. Pictures of the surrounding area from the accident scene

Map data ©2014 Google, ZENRIN

Figure I. Place of the accident

Map data «:12014 Google, ZENRIN

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Accident scene

Figure 2. Enlarged map around the accident scene

(Exfoliations of the asphalt)

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 [n the accident, the front wheels of the automobile were
touched at the yellow car-stop blocks. As shown in Fig. 3 and 4,
the heat of the fire melted those plastic blocks completely. As
shown in Fig. 4 and 5, there are some exfoliations of asphalt at
and around the parking area of the damaged automobile.
Around the other parking area, those exfoliations have not been
observed. Those exfoliations may be caused by the discharge
at the void in the asphalt.

C. Investigations of the damaged automobile

An automobile dealer near the accident scene held the
accident automobile after the investigations by the fire fighters.
After owner's permission, we could make investigations of the
damaged automobile.

The engine room of the accident automobile was awfully

burned as shown in Fig. 6 and 7. Therefore, it was impossible
to specity the ignition point in the engine room. The oil in the
tube between gasoline tank and the engine may catch fire.

attachments on the roof

Figure 9. Scars in the wheel due to the breakdown between wheel and the
asphalt

The attachment points were the left rear portion of the roof.
Scars of the lightning attachments are confirmed as shown in
Fig. 8. Scars in the wheel due to the breakdown between the
wheel and asphalt were also confirmed as shown in Fig. 9.

III. RELEVANT LIGHTNING CURRENT

Table I shows the lightning location data around the

accident place. Those data were recorded between 1: lOam and
1:25 am by JLDN (Japan Lightning Detection Network).
Because the fighters had the notice of the accident at 1:21am
on July 27th, 2013, those data was picked up. The location
accuracy of the JLDN has been studied so far. [t has been
found that the location accuracy depends on the number of the
sensors detecting each stroke. As shown in Table [, the higher
the lightning peak current is, the more the number of the
detecting sensors is. Most of data in Table [ is detected by
more than 4 sensors. Therefore, the location accuracy may be
less than 1 km. By the way, the lightning location accuracy in
the case of a small number of detecting sensors may be less
than 3 km. Therefore; the data within 3 km from the accident
point are shown in Table I.

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 TABLE I. LTGHTTNNG LOCAnON DATA FROM LLS

No. of
Time Location Peak
No. Det�
h m s latitude longitude cuuent sensocs

1 1 10 9 363006 139.9195 -16 2

2 1 10 34 36.2878 139.954 -28 11
3 1 10 34 362956 139.9422 -15 4
4 1 10 34 3628 7 139.9526 -18 7
5 1 10 34 36284 139.9563 -3 2 11
6 1 10 34 362929 139.!)46 -14 4
7 1 11 23 362821 139_9265 -14 8
8 1 11 23 363042 139.9253 -7} 8
9 1 11 23 362973 139_9487 -11 6
10 1 11 23 3�298I 139.9474 -15 8
11 1 11 23 363009 139_9437 -14 7
12 1 11 23 363007 139.9483 -14 6
13 1 11 24 362993 139_9472 -16 7
14 1 11 42 362858 139_968 6 5 (Map data ©20 14 Google ZENRIN)
15 1 11 54 36.2892 139_9377 -18 7 Figure 10. Lightning location map of LLS
16 1 11 54 362887 139.9333 -15 7
17 1 11 54 36.2857 139_9413 - 22 11 The yellowed marks are lightning stroke points within the
18 1 11 54 362869 139.9417 -20 10 distance of 3 km from the accident point as shown in Fig. 10.
19 1 11 54 362851 139_9389 -11 4 Two circles shows 1 and 3 km distance from the accident point.
20 1 12 12 362941 139.9325 -15 9 There is high possibility that the lighting strokes within 1 km
21 1 12 42 36281 139.9375 -12 8 from the accident point caused the fire accident.
22 1 12 42 362667 139.9512 -27 12
The maximum current of the strokes within I km was -24
23 1 12 42 36.2742 139_9485 -10 4
kA. Such value is not so large, namely, the lightning current
24 1 12 42 36.2697 139.9495 -60 13
causing the fire accident did not have special peak of current.
2) 1 12 42 36.2748 139.9436 -11 8 This fact shows the ordinary lightning current may cause such
26 1 12 42 362728 139.9456 -10 4 serious accident.
27 1 13 6 36.2847 139_9449 -15 9
28 1 13 6 362777 139.9245 -10 7
IV. CONCLUSIONS
29 1 13 27 3628 139.9659 -15 8
30 1 13 55 362827 139 . 947 -17 8
In this paper, the results of the interviews for the fire
fighters, investigations at the scene of the accident and
31 1 13 55 362939 139_9418 -24 8
investigations of the damaged automobile have been
32 1 14 17 362894 139.9645 -16 8
introduced and discussed. In the previous works, some fire
33 1 15 8 363039 139.9411 -11 7
accidents caused by lightning are reported. From those results
34 1 16 29 36.7803 139.9615 10 4
and facts, we could conclude that lightning has caused this
35 1 17 25 36_2957 139.9755 -10 7
automobile accident. We also surmise that there are a lot of fife
36 1 17 50 3627 139.9603 -21 12
accidents that are not made public because those damaged
37 1 18 12 36_2752 139.9534 -16 9 automobiles are usually repaired without enough investigations.
38 1 18 12 3627il 139_9584 -36 12
39 1 18 12 36_2721 139.9588 -7 5
With the spread of eco-friendly automobiles such as electric,
40 1 18 12 367708 139_9577 -12 7
fuel-cell and hybrid (electric and gasoline) vehicles, many
kinds of electronic equipment have been used; and
41 1 18 12 36.2725 139.9565 -12 6
communication and control systems have been complicated in
42 1 18 12 36275 139.9581 -19 8
recent automobiles. Those automobiles must be sensitive to
43 1 18 20 36.29 139.9767 -11 7
electromagnetic disturbance caused by lightning. However,
44 1 18 70 36 ?908 139_9598 -12 4
automobile companies do not compensate users for the
45 1 18 20 362916 139.9768 -13 8
accident cause by such natural disasters. We think that the
46 1 18 20 362894 139.9759 -11 4 lightning protection technologies and rules have to be
47 1 20 10 36_2954 139.9717 -17 8 established as soon as possible from a safety point of view.
48 1 20 38 362763 139_9382 -12 6
49 1 20 55 36_2976 139.9669 -13 4 REFERENCES
50 1 22 35 362763 139.9679 -22 11
[1] Yuta Naito, Shunichi Yanagawa, Kazuo Yamamoto, lun Kanata,
51 1 24 9 36_2958 139.9731 -18 9
Akihitro Ametani and Naoto Takahashi, "Lightning Damage
Investigation of Automobiles and Necessity of Lightning Protection"',

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 2013 ASia-Pacific International Conference on Lightning, LPES-355, pp.
397- 401 (2013-6)
[2] Hyok 1. Song, et al. : "Modeling Effect of Lightning Induced EMP on
Wire Harness in Automobiles", IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society
International Symposium, Vo1.2B, pp.383-386 (2005-7)
[3] S Ficheux, et al. "Testing of Automotive Electronic Components
Regarding Influence of Electromagnetic Field Strength Levels Radiated
by Lightning Discharges-application to a Multiplexing Communication
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pp.68-73 (1991-10) (in Japanese)
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[4] K. Yamamoto, J. Kanata, and A. Ametani, 'Transient Magnetic Fields
and Current Distributions in an Electric Vehicle Caused by a Lightning
Stroke", IEEJ Trans. PE, Vo1.l32, No.7, pp. 667-675, July 2012.
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Protection, September 2012.
[6] Jun Kanata, Akihiro Ametani and Kazuo. Yamamoto, "Study on
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