butterfly

Using Cruise Control on wet roads


http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/wetroad.asp

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 hydroplane 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.

The highway patrolman told her if the cruise control is on and
your car begins to hydroplane, when your tires loose contact with
the pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed
and you will take off like an airplane.

She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred. We all know you have little or no control over a car when it begins to hydroplane. You are at the mercy of the Good Lord. The highway patrolman
estimated her car was actually traveling through the air 10 to 15 miles per hour faster than the speed set on the cruise control.

The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the driver's
sidesun-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.

~Ann
We must teach our children to dream with their eyes open.
-Harry Edwards

bulletproof1

women drivers

Little Wing

good to know damn.

Luke9583

I think they are mis using the term 'hydro planing'

Hydroplaning is a condition that has more to do with the tires and suspension geometry than consistency of speed.

New goal for 2005, 190lbs @ 7% bf

"She Blew my nose, and then she blew my mind"

Pepper

I think the term is used correctly. What happens is that the car hydroplanes, the cruise control accelerates, when the tires hit the pavement, you are going way faster than you were.

My Carb Cycling Progress - you can't hide from the numbers.