Tip: Cruise Control, Not in the Rain
Archived on 08/25/2009
Do not use your cruise control when driving in rain, should you hydroplane, your car will accelerate 10 to 15 mph causing possibly a serious or deadly accident.
By Angela Van Hoy from Olin, NC
Feedback:
RE: Cruise Control, Not in the Rain
I googled this to double check. This link says it's true.
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/cruisecontrol.htm (02/08/2006)
By aardvark
RE: Cruise Control, Not in the Rain
I also checked on Google and found it to be a hoax. If one moves down through the hoax sites, he will find the hoax busters site.
"Like most urban legends, this tale offers a "true story" of an extreme example of a rare, but real, risk - illustrated by a story that happened to some unidentified (or poorly identified) person other than the author. It lacks crucial validating information and what "facts" it does contain are already being altered.
Automotive experts, manufacturers and highway patrolmen advise against using a vehicle's cruise control on wet or icy pavement. Doing so can delay your reaction to situations that often offer only fractions of a second to maintain or regain control. To do so, you must reduce power and slow the wheels so that the tires can once again grip the pavement.
But not all cars will "accelerate to a high rate of speed" when they hydroplane. Rather, your vehicle's wheels will maintain the speed set by the cruise control. If set at 50 mph, the tires will continue to rotate at that rate - they will not suddenly accelerate out of control just because they aren't in contact with the road. The lone exception is vehicles whose speed is metered on the non-drive axles.
Another reason not to forward this chain is the risk of "False Attribution Syndrome" - someone may receive and forward it in the future, adding their name and title, and by extension, undue credibility to the tale. Would you want to start receiving calls and e-mails wanting more information about this danger? If not, break this chain."
(02/08/2006)
By Dean
RE: Cruise Control, Not in the Rain
You don't need to check into this any FURTHER. It happened to me, years ago on the way home from work at night on I81. I am not a blog or a hoax, I am a real live person and can attest to this. I will say however, that this particular cruise control had been added to the car and when you turned it on the car immediately accelerated to the speed that it was set, which had always been fine, until that night when the road was really, really wet, I ended up in the median facing North on I81 while traveling South. So never mind "hoax", I am sure it has happened to A LOT of people. B. Wilson (02/09/2006)
By fauxpaslover
RE: Cruise Control, Not in the Rain
Hi,
We're not encouraging any email chains. We don't do that kind of thing. This just seems like good common sense to me. We've had plenty of hydroplaning around here lately with all the rain we've had. Seems like good advice and certainly can't hurt to turn off the cruise control when the roads are wet or icy.
(02/09/2006)
By Susan from ThriftyFun
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