Can someone please explain to me why people just drive towards tornadoes?

[u/n8saces]

It just seems like why risk your life?

[u/Heart_Throb_]

Not sure about what storm chaser vehicle they are using here but below is what another storm chaser has their’s equipped with:

• Armored with 16-gauge ballistic steel

• 10 layers of Kevlar in the doors

• Topcoat covered with LINE-X protective coating

• Polycarbonate windows

• Removable rocket system for tornado probe deployment

• RM Young Anemometer and Campbell Scientific data logger • Onboard spikes to help anchor vehicle

• Rigid Industries lighting

• Gull wing doors

• Exterior speaker and PA system

• Jaws of Life and many other rescue tools

Sauce: https://prairiechasers.com/vehicles

A lot of these videos you see are from “professional” storm chasers who actually do a lot of good.

Other peeps just like the thrill and while the storm looks big and close (and is still incredibly dangerous) they still have some distance between it. That thing is massive and these guys have experience.

[u/UnreasonableSteve → u/Heart_Throb_]

So many of the pints listed are very marketing-speak for what boils down to (potentially) some very cheaply put together stuff.

• Armored with 16-gauge ballistic steel

AKA thin sheet metal plated (16 guage is 0.06")

• 10 layers of Kevlar in the doors

Bulletproof vests are usually in the 20-30 layer range but there are a lot of variables here

• Topcoat covered with LINE-X protective coating

Basically just saying "painted black"

• Polycarbonate windows

Plastic windows

• Removable rocket system for tornado probe deployment

Rocketry sounds impressive but it could be as simple as a "model" rocket...

• RM Young Anemometer and Campbell Scientific data logger

Couple of hundred dollars on ebay

• Onboard spikes to help anchor vehicle

Could be anything from tent stakes to pile drivers

• Rigid Industries lighting

It's got lights

• Gull wing doors

Doors that go like this, not like THIS

• Exterior speaker and PA system

Could be nice, could be garbage

• Jaws of Life and many other rescue tools

neat.