Originally Posted by
electrik
I don't ride in it anymore after having been struck through the ground by a bolt.
All these people who quote 38 deaths a year from lightning are abusing the statistics. First, one doesn't need to die to have their life changed permanently by a lightning strike.. so what are the odds of simply being struck? a lot higher i'll bet. in fact the odds of being struck again go up if you are struck once.
Secondly, the rate of 38 deaths is often put forth in the scope of the general population... that is misleading because the general population isn't outside in a lightning storm. One could conclude swimming in a pool of great white sharks is safe since only 15 people die a year in shark attacks. Does that make swimming in a pool of great white sharks safe? no. Does cycling around in an open field during a lightning storm seem safe because only 38 people die a year from it? no. Use some common sense.
according to
this, about 3 times as many people are injured by lightning than killed by it. if we're accepting 38 as the correct yearly figure, then we could expect somewhere in the vicinity of 120 strikes that do not kill every year. still hardly a statistic to worry about.
i think everyone has made the proper caveats. there are things you can do to reduce your risk, but honestly how many people out there commute through giant vacant fields every day? i'm sorry you've been hit by lightning, but just because your lifetime risk is 100% doesn't mean you should act as a scare-monger.
bottom-line: don't worry about being hit by lightning. don't ride if you can't handle the weather. don't get hit by a car.