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Can live electrical wire damage your car?
Sometimes while driving, I see repairmen working on power lines alongside the road. It’s a little far-fetched, but I’m curious: If a power line were to be knocked loose, or if a car struck a pole during an accident, could the live wire damage your car?
Jason Crosby · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
If a live electrical wire touches the body of your car, most likely no damage would occur, but it depends on where the wire makes contact with the vehicle. During a
car accident
, windshield and window glass can easily shatter, exposing the interior of the vehicle, which would put the occupants in danger of being electrocuted. Electrocution from a power line would most likely be fatal, and hundreds of people die in this manner every year. When a
power line
manages to get knocked loose, the most vulnerable area of the vehicle would be the undercarriage, which could create sparks that might trigger a fire. But worse, if the windows were open and a live wire made contact with an occupant, they would almost certainly die. The primary reason that the car itself would likely be okay is that metal is a highly-effective conductor of electricity.If a car is stationary and a live electrical wire makes contact with the vehicle’s surface, do not touch the vehicle, or reach for the door handle in order to move it. This is a sure way to get shocked, resulting in a possibly fatal injury. Thankfully, dealing with loose power lines is a rare occurrence. However, getting overcharged for your car insurance isn’t.
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