Cruise Control

[KitKat]

A very interesting article and I wasn't aware of this. 

CRUISE CONTROL

I wonder how many people know about this? A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and Totaled her car. A resident of Kilgore , Texas she was traveling between Gladewater & Kilgore. It was raining, though not excessively, when her car suddenly began to hydro-plane and literally flew through the air. She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!

When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened he told her something that every driver should know - NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON. She thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain.

But the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on when your car begins to hydro-plane and your tires lose contact with the pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane. She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred.

The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the driver’s seat sun-visor - NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICY, along with the airbag warning. We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive a safe speed - but we don’t tell them to use the cruise control only when the pavement is dry.
The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the patrolman), was a man who had had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries.

NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on.

[Ginafish]

I don't know if I have my cruise control on during rain or not, but I like the idea of a smart car that wouldn't let me do that.

My key chain has a place to automatically open the trunk, and I discovered yesterday that you can't use that button if the key's in the ignition. Probably a good thing so I don't accidentally open the trunk while driving!

[HorseFilms]

This is true. Living in Minnesota, I've become very used to driving in bad conditions. While driving in snow, sometimes the only way to regain control as you start to slide is to let up on the gas slightly. It's a delicate balance that cruise control screws up.

[Nick]

Wow, thanks for the info. I don't often drive with cruise control but I always think about using it. Now I will remember this.

[Mus.]

I don't get that hydro-plane part. Takes off like an airplane? It flies?

[Nick]

Hydro-plane is when you drive over a puddle of water and because of your speed your tires come off the ground and you essentially drive on the water. When this happens your cruise control speeds up (I assume to compensate for the lack of road) and your car basically leaps into the air.