[huskerlug] Re: Important Safety Information
- From: Jerry Kreps <jkreps@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: DMichael2305@xxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 15:51:46 -0600
On Wednesday 24 November 2004 1:08 pm, you wrote:
> NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR =C2=A0CRUISE CONTROL ON!!.
=46rom http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/wetroad.asp
While this email started appearing in November of 2002, and may be classifi=
ed=20
as a 'hoax', nonetheless, the warning inherent to the tale =E2=80=94 don't =
engage=20
your vehicle's cruise control on slippery or wet roads is =E2=80=94 well wo=
rth=20
heeding. Snow, ice, slush, or even rain can cause wheel-spin and loss of=20
control, situations to which drivers must react quickly. Although cruise=20
control can generally be cut off by the driver's simply tapping the brake=20
pedal, the extra reaction time required for a motorist relying upon cruise=
=20
control to recognize the danger of the situation when his wheels begins to=
=20
spin or slide on a slippery surface, bring his foot up off the floor to the=
=20
brake pedal, and disengage the cruise control can be crucial (especially fo=
r=20
drivers lured into a hazardous level of inattentiveness on long, flat=20
stretches of road).=20
According to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia's web page of t=
ips=20
about driving on wet roads:=20
=20
The only way to stop this wheel-spin and maintain control is to immediately=
=20
reduce power. However, an activated cruise control system will continue to=
=20
apply power, keeping the wheels spinning. By the time you disengage the=20
cruise control, you may have lost control.=20
An example from the weekly "Drive It Forever'' automotive column by New Yor=
k=20
Times Syndicate writer Bob Sikorsky provides a description of one such=20
occurrence:=20
=20
Dear Bob: Cruise control can be dangerous. I have experienced, when driving=
in=20
heavy rain or slush conditions with the cruise control set at a speed of=20
around 70 mph, that one front wheel will hydroplane while the other wheel=20
suddenly gets traction. Result: The car spins out and into the ditch or int=
o=20
traffic.=20
I have been lucky to be able to catch it happening and touch the brake and=
=20
recover quickly. As a former pilot, I literally wear the car and feel its=20
moves and respond accordingly.=20
Use of the cruise control in these conditions can be dangerous.=20
Enjoy your column every week -- keep up the good work.=20
Sincerely, B.D., Albany, N.Y.=20
A: While I haven't heard of this particular problem with cruise control, I=
=20
can see your point -- and indeed the experience you describe sounds like a=
=20
hazardous one. The safety implications for an average driver are=20
considerable.=20
I agree, in short: In heavy rain or slush, the cruise should not be set at=
a=20
high speed.=20
For that matter, though, even without the cruise engaged, high speed under=
=20
the aforesaid conditions is dangerous in and of itself. You really shouldn'=
t=20
be driving at 70 mph in slippery conditions, cruise or no cruise. Nor shoul=
d=20
any driver.=20
Wet-road driving is fraught with dangers that are not always immediately=20
apparent. Just a thin layer of water lying on pavement can send an=20
unsuspecting car hydroplaning into another lane -- the car's wheels skim=20
along the water's surface instead of making contact with the road. Also,=20
roads constantly accumulate oily substances loosed by car exhaust, and this=
=20
residue settles deep into the pavement. Rain brings this oil back to the=20
surface, making roads especially slippery during that first hour of downpou=
r=20
or misting.=20
Likewise, winter driving carries with it a similar set of perils. Ice, sno=
w,=20
and sleet can make for dangerously slippery conditions, but so too can=20
innocuous-looking slush and all-but-invisible "black ice." Those who=20
habitually rely upon their vehicles' cruise controls should eschew the=20
practice during the winter months, because the moments it takes to disengag=
e=20
cruise may be moments you don't have during a spin-out.=20
=2D-=20
=2D-
GreyGeek
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