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Old 15th February 2013, 13:02   #1
Evansabove
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Cool Driving in Rain and ice with Cruise Control

I had this email sent recently and did not give this a thought Please read, it could save you grief.

Driving in the rain -- this may save your life.

A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totalled her car. A resident of Kinburn , Ontario was travelling between Kinburn & Ottawa.
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 OPP Officer 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 Officer told her that if the cruise control is on when your car begins to hydro-plane and your tires lose contact with the ROAD, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane. She told the OPP Officer that was exactly what had occurred.
The Officer said this warning should be listed, on the driver's seat sun-visor - NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE ROAD 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 road is dry.
The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the officer), was a man who had a similar accident, totalled his car and sustained severe injuries.

HTH

John
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Old 15th February 2013, 13:08   #2
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It's a good point. However, maybe some motorists mistaken cruise control for auto pilot. Cruise is a marvellous addition, and helps with smooth and economical driving, but one must remain alert!
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Old 15th February 2013, 13:21   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Evansabove View Post
I had this email sent recently and did not give this a thought Please read, it could save you grief.

Driving in the rain -- this may save your life.

A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totalled her car. A resident of Kinburn , Ontario was travelling between Kinburn & Ottawa.
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 OPP Officer 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 Officer told her that if the cruise control is on when your car begins to hydro-plane and your tires lose contact with the ROAD, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane. She told the OPP Officer that was exactly what had occurred.
The Officer said this warning should be listed, on the driver's seat sun-visor - NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE ROAD 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 road is dry.
The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the officer), was a man who had a similar accident, totalled his car and sustained severe injuries.

HTH

John
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Originally Posted by Sidetops View Post
It's a good point. However, maybe some motorists mistaken cruise control for auto pilot. Cruise is a marvellous addition, and helps with smooth and economical driving, but one must remain alert!

Both are good points☺
I consider cruise control damn right dangerous. I need to feel I am in control of the car and can move with the traffic to its conditions.
Sitting behind someone at a constant speed with no consideration to other road users is one of my pet hates
I have cruise control but never use it!
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Old 15th February 2013, 13:34   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay View Post
Both are good points☺
I consider cruise control damn right dangerous. I need to feel I am in control of the car and can move with the traffic to its conditions.
Sitting behind someone at a constant speed with no consideration to other road users is one of my pet hates
I have cruise control but never use it!
I very rarely use the cruise control either.
It is not until you try one out, that you realise how many small adjustments you make to speed to maintain safe seperation from other vehicles.

Only good on a clear road with no other traffic IMHO.
That doesn't happen to me much, Dorset is one a the few counties that does not have a motorway
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Old 15th February 2013, 14:23   #5
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I'm afraid thats a hoax e-mail and very alarmist, how would the car 'speed up & fly through the air'?

"Should the car's tyres break traction with the road, such as in an aquaplane situation, the increase in wheel speed would be sensed and the cruise control system would then reduce the amount of throttle and maintain the set speed."

"Additionally, cruise control systems are deactivated as soon as the brake is applied. As braking is usually an automatic reaction in most emergency situations, the scenario of cruise control causing an increase in vehicle speed is highly unlikely."


While I do agree that using cruise in severe weather is probably not a good idea, I feel that this is unnecessarily alarmist.
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Old 15th February 2013, 14:28   #6
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Reminds me of the chap who bought his brand new Winnibago in the States and on his way home set cruise control and then promtly got up to go in the back to make a coffee. Needless to say, it totalled the vehicle.
Winnibago had to replace it free of charge because nowhere in the owners handbook did it say not to !
It does now !
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Old 15th February 2013, 15:32   #7
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The comments may be a bit-lot OTT. But basically it's very good advice.

Having said that, if you are paying attention you should feel immediately when your car aquaplanes or begins to lose traction for some reason as your steering gets very light. Not sure you would notice this as quickly with cruise on, plus people using cruise are not giving driving their car 100% concentration. That's why I only use it to go through areas controlled by ave speed cameras..
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Old 15th February 2013, 15:43   #8
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Don't drive through large deep puddles, and if you really can't avoid them then slow down

Last edited by Bolin; 15th February 2013 at 15:48..
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Old 15th February 2013, 23:28   #9
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Have to agree with Kiltman - if the wheels are spinning, c/c would slow it down as the wheel sensors would detect a higher speed.
As previously said, I would not advocate the use of c/c in adverse conditions - and in ALL conditions remember this is just a constant speed facility and the driver must remain fully alert!
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Old 16th February 2013, 00:24   #10
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>>>and in ALL conditions remember this is just a constant speed facility and the driver must remain fully alert!<<<

That's the hard bit, I find doing that hour after hour when on a long Mway run very difficult, with cruise on I might find it impossible....

And judging by the number of people who change lanes right under my nose causing me to brake, drive within a few feet of another vehicles rear bumper, drive with their hands in their laps etc etc, there are large numbers of drivers out there who's concentration level is very very low indeed..

And then their are the people who feel unwell, or are tired, those that shouldn't be there as they don't have a licence to drive, the list is horribly long, making our roads dangerous places to be. So driver beware, it may save your life innit...
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