Driving Safety

[ScriptOhio]

I have no idea if this is factual or not (I received it in an email):

Everyone Should Know This<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

A 36-year-old female had an accident several weeks ago and totaled her
car. A resident of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Kilgore</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Texas</st1:State></st1:place>, she was traveling between
Gladewater & Kilgore. It was raining, though not excessive, 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 had 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 and
your car begins to hydroplane -- when your tires lose contact with the
pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed and you
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 patrol estimated her car was actually traveling through the air
at 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 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.

​

 

[VprHis]

I have no idea if this is factual or not (I received it in an email):

But the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on and

your car begins to hydroplane -- when your tires lose contact with the
pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed and you
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 patrol estimated her car was actually traveling through the air
at 10 to 15 miles per hour faster than the speed set on the cruise control.

​

OK, let's think logically. How does the cruise control know how fast your car's going? Perhaps by the rate of spin on your wheels? It would probably notice that they're spinning way too fast, THINK you've accelerated, and slow down.

And if I'm wrong on that one.... How the HELL does your car accelerate if it's hydroplaning? Hydroplane = NO TRACTION = NO ACCELERATION.

Edit: Snopes.com lists this 'urban legend' as true, but only in the sense that it is prudent to not use cruise in the rain.

[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Book Antiqua,Bookman Old Style,Arial]We began seeing this cautionary tale turn up in inboxes in November 2002. Although these accounts are probably "real" in the sense that they indeed reflect someone's attempt to describe an automotive mishap that actually happened to him, the explanation about a hydroplaning car's suddenly accelerating and "taking off like a rocket" due to the use of cruise control is a garbled one probably reflecting the author's misunderstanding of what had occurred.
[/FONT]

 

[rocketman]

Cruise control works by locking your engine at a specific RPM. You go up a hill and slow down, so does your RPM, in which case the engine picks it back up. Ever wonder what happens when you have cruise control and throw your stick into neutral? Its not pretty...unless you like to hear your engine bounce off the rev limiter till it explodes. When you go to neutral the RPMs drop (not engaged in a gear, no resistance on the transmission). Cruise control sees this, and picks up the speed - BUT WAIT...you're in neutral...so the engine just continues to accelerate. I would assume losing traction would would be somewhat like putting your car in neutral with cruise control on, albeit not nearly as severe. While I highly doubt that your car would "take off like a rocket" it would certainly behave in a rather unexpected way.