This does not diminish the fact that we should all be aware of this.
Thanks for the warning BG and also Gerty about the towing tip.
-- Edited by Duh on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 08:51:28 PM
Landfall said
03:03 PM Jul 9, 2013
Even better tip:-
Don't believe everything you read on these forums.
There is a huge difference in cruise control technology of yesteryear and today. These days most "decent" vehicles cruise controls are governed by the computer system that has speed sensors on each wheel, one or two wheel aquaplaning is not going to send the car into orbit, in fact it will have the opposite effect.
There is a huge difference between technology in various brands of vehicles.
As for not using the cruise control when towing. No serious comment would be allowed to be printed.
Ken
-- Edited by Landfall on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 03:05:15 PM
elliemike said
05:52 PM Jul 9, 2013
I have experienced aqua planning while doing 100 mph on the M6 in medium traffic in the UK. I was a very newly licenced driver and thought I knew it all. It put the fear of Christ into me. I have also driven a lot in snow and Ice conditions and lost control at slow speed. This was due to my poor driving skills at the time. I actually caused the aqua planning by not driving to the conditions. I was racing to catch up to a friend in not so heavy rain got close behind him (smart a*se) and touched the brake.
I use Cruise control a lot on long journeys towing, and in town driving where it reasonable to do so. You have to drive your Rig to the conditions prevailing at the time.
The warning above is a bit of a Furphy that keeps doing the rounds. Like the man/woman (Polack, Paddy, Kiwi, Newfie, Tasmanian) who put the new RV into Cruise Control and went to make coffee in the back. Then sued Winnebago wanting Compo.
Cruise control has no Idea what your speed is. It works on the RPM of the output shaft from the Gearbox. When you press the SET button it remembers what that RPM is and maintains engine revs to keep that shaft turning at those revs + or - a few revs difference either side of the SET point.
The unit maintains those RPM that keeps the vehicle doing the speed You want. Your choice.
Any major alteration (like wheel spin) up or down to those set RPM and the controller cancels itself. This probably happens faster than you could react to a situation and, get your foot off the accelerator pedal without cruise control on.
In the end It's the drivers responsibility to drive the vehicle to the conditions at the time.
E.G Going into a bend too fast in wet weather or dry is the same for Cruise Control or manual control you have to slow down.
-- Edited by elliemike on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 05:54:38 PM
Big Gorilla said
06:40 PM Jul 9, 2013
A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago. It was raining, though not excessively when her car suddenly began to hydro-planeand literally flew through the air. She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!When she explained to the Police 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 Police Officer told her that if the cruise control is on,your car will begin to hydro-plane when the tyres lose contact with the road, and your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an aeroplane. She told the 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'd had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries..
·
·NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on.
If the concept of crashes wasn't serious the whole post would be funny.
"lose traction on one wheel & the car accelerates & takes off like an aeroplane" Indeed. A bit late for April Fool jokes.
I wonder why aircraft have big engines....just toss some water on the runway & engage cruise control & up up & away!
What does that pic have to do with the story? Doesn't even look to be a wet day.
"Don't use cruise when towing". Why the heck not? I, and many others do it when conditions are suitable. Never made me run into a tree airborne.
Gave me a laugh for today anyway.
The old idea of cruise controls was to screw up the fast idle knob. Bit different these days as Landfall suggests. If the computer detects a wheel increasing speed it will actually slow the engine to try to maintain speed not suddenly accelerate.
Hey Delta, doesn't look like a wet day on your avatar either, but I guess you must have started aquaplaning with the cruise control on????
-- Edited by The dog lady on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 09:45:52 PM
Delta18 said
10:21 PM Jul 9, 2013
If the concept of crashes wasn't serious the whole post would be funny.
"lose traction on one wheel & the car accelerates & takes off like an aeroplane" Indeed. A bit late for April Fool jokes.
I wonder why aircraft have big engines....just toss some water on the runway & engage cruise control & up up & away!
What does that pic have to do with the story? Doesn't even look to be a wet day.
"Don't use cruise when towing". Why the heck not? I, and many others do it when conditions are suitable. Never made me run into a tree airborne.
Gave me a laugh for today anyway.
The old idea of cruise controls was to screw up the fast idle knob. Bit different these days as Landfall suggests. If the computer detects a wheel increasing speed it will actually slow the engine to try to maintain speed not suddenly accelerate.
Delta18 said
10:22 PM Jul 9, 2013
The dog lady wrote:
Delta18 wrote:
If the concept of crashes wasn't serious the whole post would be funny.
etc etc etc.............
Hey Delta, doesn't look like a wet day on your avatar either, but I guess you must have started aquaplaning with the cruise control on????
-- Edited by The dog lady on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 09:45:52 PM
LOLOL
Sure got airborne when traction broke.
-- Edited by Delta18 on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 10:23:46 PM
-- Edited by Delta18 on Wednesday 10th of July 2013 10:43:37 AM
Big Gorilla said
10:50 PM Jul 9, 2013
Duh wrote:
This is true, however the story about the 36 y/o started circulating in 2002 with Texas USA as the location. See;
This does not diminish the fact that we should all be aware of this.
Thanks for the warning BG and also Gerty about the towing tip.
You are correct Duh. Usually I check on Snopes before posting information such as this, however as you say it is a fact we should all be aware of...
Duh said
10:53 PM Jul 9, 2013
I've never liked cruise control BG, even on long straight trips, feel more in control with it off, doesn't give me fatigue not using it that I've ever noticed, or a sore foot!
Roving-Dutchy said
11:59 PM Jul 9, 2013
Using cruise control when towing is a decision that is up to you to decide, I can see no reason not to use cruise control and use it all the time, with or without van on, I find it especially handy in school zones as I don't have to monitor the speed and can concentrate on the road ahead and any children that are nearby.
Aquaplaning usually occurs when you can see raindrops hitting the layer of water on the road, it is dependant on speed, tyre tread and road surface and it is mainly the front wheels that lift up onto the surface layer of water and are no longer in contact with the road surface and you cannot change the direction of travel as there is no longer any grip on the road.
I have never experienced this condition but would hope that traction and stability control in the car would take over and get me out of a very frightening experience.
Cheers
David
Gerty Dancer said
02:25 AM Jul 10, 2013
Hmm... I've read some fairly strongly worded "don't use cruise control while towing a caravan " anecdotes on this forum and another over several years. Perhaps modern cruise-control technology is safer.
Take care folks.
Duh said
03:52 AM Jul 10, 2013
This is what hoax slayer has to say about the subject, quoting some other sources;
Detailed Analysis This email forward warns that drivers should not use cruise control in the rain. The message claims that using cruise control can actually cause the vehicle to accelerate through the air if it hits standing water and hydroplanes (aquaplanes).
While the core claim (don't use cruise control in wet conditions) is valid, the message seriously mangles the facts and is therefore misleading and overly alarmist.
An emailed warning about using cruise control in the wet contains elements of truth but is otherwise misleading and inaccurate
Certainly, using your vehicle's cruise control in wet or icy conditions can be dangerous - but not for the reasons outlined in this warning message. It almost goes without saying that aquaplaning can occur regardless of whether cruise control is engaged or not. Aquaplaning occurs when a tyre's grooves cannot remove water quickly enough and the tyre therefore loses contact with the road surface and skims across the top of the standing water. Car accidents often happen as a result of aquaplaning, but in many cases this is due to poorly maintained vehicles, driver inattention or poor road conditions and has nothing at all to do with cruise control.
That said, if cruise control is engaged when aquaplaning occurs, the driver's subsequent reaction could make the encounter worse than it may have otherwise been. For example, the driver may hit the brake heavily to disengage cruise control and this could lock up the wheels completely. Furthermore, drivers often move their feet away from the pedals when cruise control is engaged and they may also be a little less attentive than normal. In an aquaplaning situation the small delay caused by these factors could equate to the difference between a safe recovery and a serious accident. Also, an inattentive driver could hit the accelerator instead of the brake to disengage cruise control, and this could of course speed up the vehicle and lead to loss of control.
However, the claim in the message that cruise control itself can actually make the vehicle accelerate and fly through the air in a hydroplaning situation is dubious at best. A CarPoint Australia article that debunks the claims in the email notes:
This is the key that makes a nonsense of the email. Modern cars take their speedo reading from the driveshaft or transmission. This means the cruise control bases its responses on the speed of the driven wheels, not the car itself. This is an important distinction and fail safe position.
If the driven wheels skid because they lose grip, the spinning wheels will cause the speedo to show a higher reading which will force the cruise control to release the throttle faster than most drivers. Regardless of whether the car itself slows down or speeds up, the cruise control will always reduce the throttle no matter what until the driven wheels slow down back to the pre-set speed.
If the wheels continue to slip under this scenario, this will always leave the car travelling more slowly relative to the road, not faster as described in the email.
This finding is confirmed by the RAA's Technical Manager Mark Borlace, who explains:
"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."
Thus, there is no inherent factor in the cruise control mechanism itself that could lead to a hydroplaning vehicle speeding up and flying through the air.
Like many email "warnings" there is no way of verifying if the event described in the message actually occurred or was simply added to drive home the core points. The version included here is set in Australia. However, other versions with virtually identical wording have featured US place names. Another popular version changes the location to a road between Gladewater & Kilgore, Texas. This duplication implies that, at least for later versions of the message, the perpetrator is not relating an actual incident he or she has experienced but has simply altered an existing message to fit local conditions.
The bottom line? Using cruise control in wet conditions certainly can be dangerous but it will NOT cause your vehicle to speed up and fly through the air. Engaging cruise control in any road situation that is less than optimal is ill-advised. Such road situations include not only wet and rainy conditions , but also icy roads, high traffic, poor visibility and rough, narrow, hilly or excessively bendy roads. However, do we really need an unverified and factually dubious email forward to make us aware of such factors? I would hope that not using cruise control in wet or other potentially dangerous conditions would simply be common sense for any responsible driver.
I like to drive my vehicle. Even Betty Benz doesn't have cruise control. She's 2005 model, and she's also manual 5 speed, 5 cyclinder turbo diesel.
I wouldn't tow in 5th gear with the Land cruiser and if I had cruise control I wouldn't tow with it or use it where driving conditions, speed and anything else was tricky.
What did we do before all these gadgets were attached to our vehicles?
Today I had to get a new battery. While there I eyed off an old Riley, maybe 1945 or a bit later. No power steering, no ABS brakes, and the indicators had been added later. The mechanic who had to drive it to the workshop had to take his big boots off because the pedals were too close together, and they started through the floor in an upright manner, rather than hanging down. Aircon was a couple of vents behind the front mudguards. Yes, folks, I did mention "mud guards". Those were the days.
Delta18 said
04:13 AM Jul 10, 2013
Duh wrote:
This is what hoax slayer has to say about the subject, quoting some other sources;
Detailed Analysis This email forward warns that drivers should not use cruise control in the rain. The message claims that using cruise control can actually cause the vehicle to accelerate through the air if it hits standing water and hydroplanes (aquaplanes).
While the core claim (don't use cruise control in wet conditions) is valid, the message seriously mangles the facts and is therefore misleading and overly alarmist.
An emailed warning about using cruise control in the wet contains elements of truth but is otherwise misleading and inaccurate
Certainly, using your vehicle's cruise control in wet or icy conditions can be dangerous - but not for the reasons outlined in this warning message. It almost goes without saying that aquaplaning can occur regardless of whether cruise control is engaged or not. Aquaplaning occurs when a tyre's grooves cannot remove water quickly enough and the tyre therefore loses contact with the road surface and skims across the top of the standing water. Car accidents often happen as a result of aquaplaning, but in many cases this is due to poorly maintained vehicles, driver inattention or poor road conditions and has nothing at all to do with cruise control.
That said, if cruise control is engaged when aquaplaning occurs, the driver's subsequent reaction could make the encounter worse than it may have otherwise been. For example, the driver may hit the brake heavily to disengage cruise control and this could lock up the wheels completely. Furthermore, drivers often move their feet away from the pedals when cruise control is engaged and they may also be a little less attentive than normal. In an aquaplaning situation the small delay caused by these factors could equate to the difference between a safe recovery and a serious accident. Also, an inattentive driver could hit the accelerator instead of the brake to disengage cruise control, and this could of course speed up the vehicle and lead to loss of control.
However, the claim in the message that cruise control itself can actually make the vehicle accelerate and fly through the air in a hydroplaning situation is dubious at best. A CarPoint Australia article that debunks the claims in the email notes:
This is the key that makes a nonsense of the email. Modern cars take their speedo reading from the driveshaft or transmission. This means the cruise control bases its responses on the speed of the driven wheels, not the car itself. This is an important distinction and fail safe position.
If the driven wheels skid because they lose grip, the spinning wheels will cause the speedo to show a higher reading which will force the cruise control to release the throttle faster than most drivers. Regardless of whether the car itself slows down or speeds up, the cruise control will always reduce the throttle no matter what until the driven wheels slow down back to the pre-set speed.
If the wheels continue to slip under this scenario, this will always leave the car travelling more slowly relative to the road, not faster as described in the email.
This finding is confirmed by the RAA's Technical Manager Mark Borlace, who explains:
"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."
Thus, there is no inherent factor in the cruise control mechanism itself that could lead to a hydroplaning vehicle speeding up and flying through the air.
Like many email "warnings" there is no way of verifying if the event described in the message actually occurred or was simply added to drive home the core points. The version included here is set in Australia. However, other versions with virtually identical wording have featured US place names. Another popular version changes the location to a road between Gladewater & Kilgore, Texas. This duplication implies that, at least for later versions of the message, the perpetrator is not relating an actual incident he or she has experienced but has simply altered an existing message to fit local conditions.
The bottom line? Using cruise control in wet conditions certainly can be dangerous but it will NOT cause your vehicle to speed up and fly through the air. Engaging cruise control in any road situation that is less than optimal is ill-advised. Such road situations include not only wet and rainy conditions , but also icy roads, high traffic, poor visibility and rough, narrow, hilly or excessively bendy roads. However, do we really need an unverified and factually dubious email forward to make us aware of such factors? I would hope that not using cruise control in wet or other potentially dangerous conditions would simply be common sense for any responsible driver.
I think that is what I said but in much fewer words.
The dog lady said
04:39 AM Jul 10, 2013
Cruising Granny wrote:
I like to drive my vehicle. Even Betty Benz doesn't have cruise control. She's 2005 model, and she's also manual 5 speed, 5 cyclinder turbo diesel. I wouldn't tow in 5th gear with the Land cruiser and if I had cruise control I wouldn't tow with it or use it where driving conditions, speed and anything else was tricky. What did we do before all these gadgets were attached to our vehicles? Today I had to get a new battery. While there I eyed off an old Riley, maybe 1945 or a bit later. No power steering, no ABS brakes, and the indicators had been added later. The mechanic who had to drive it to the workshop had to take his big boots off because the pedals were too close together, and they started through the floor in an upright manner, rather than hanging down. Aircon was a couple of vents behind the front mudguards. Yes, folks, I did mention "mud guards". Those were the days.
Yep, those were the days of cars that were uncomfortable, unsafe, uneconomical etc. etc. But we were young and petrol was cheap .
Ahhh, 8 in the back of the ute at 2am going rabbit shooting.............................don't think I could even climb into the back of the old ute now
D and D said
05:13 AM Jul 10, 2013
Don't let rational thinking get in the way of a good story - pure fiction
Shaky said
06:51 AM Jul 13, 2013
Is this an urban myth or what. I have been in exactly the same situation and the cruise control has said, hey, no way and turned off. Allowed me to gain control of the vehicle and avoid an embarrassing situation.
This is true according to snopes, however the story about the 36 y/o started circulating in 2002 with Texas USA as the location. See;
http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/wetroad.asp
This does not diminish the fact that we should all be aware of this.
Thanks for the warning BG and also Gerty about the towing tip.
-- Edited by Duh on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 08:51:28 PM
Even better tip:-
Don't believe everything you read on these forums.
There is a huge difference in cruise control technology of yesteryear and today. These days most "decent" vehicles cruise controls are governed by the computer system that has speed sensors on each wheel, one or two wheel aquaplaning is not going to send the car into orbit, in fact it will have the opposite effect.
There is a huge difference between technology in various brands of vehicles.
As for not using the cruise control when towing. No serious comment would be allowed to be printed.
Ken
-- Edited by Landfall on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 03:05:15 PM
I have experienced aqua planning while doing 100 mph on the M6 in medium traffic in the UK. I was a very newly licenced driver and thought I knew it all. It put the fear of Christ into me. I have also driven a lot in snow and Ice conditions and lost control at slow speed. This was due to my poor driving skills at the time. I actually caused the aqua planning by not driving to the conditions. I was racing to catch up to a friend in not so heavy rain got close behind him (smart a*se) and touched the brake.
I use Cruise control a lot on long journeys towing, and in town driving where it reasonable to do so. You have to drive your Rig to the conditions prevailing at the time.
The warning above is a bit of a Furphy that keeps doing the rounds. Like the man/woman (Polack, Paddy, Kiwi, Newfie, Tasmanian) who put the new RV into Cruise Control and went to make coffee in the back. Then sued Winnebago wanting Compo.
Cruise control has no Idea what your speed is. It works on the RPM of the output shaft from the Gearbox. When you press the SET button it remembers what that RPM is and maintains engine revs to keep that shaft turning at those revs + or - a few revs difference either side of the SET point.
The unit maintains those RPM that keeps the vehicle doing the speed You want. Your choice.
Any major alteration (like wheel spin) up or down to those set RPM and the controller cancels itself. This probably happens faster than you could react to a situation and, get your foot off the accelerator pedal without cruise control on.
In the end It's the drivers responsibility to drive the vehicle to the conditions at the time.
E.G Going into a bend too fast in wet weather or dry is the same for Cruise Control or manual control you have to slow down.
-- Edited by elliemike on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 05:54:38 PM
A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago. It was raining, though not excessively when her car suddenly began to hydro-planeand literally flew through the air. She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!When she explained to the Police 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 Police Officer told her that if the cruise control is on,your car will begin to hydro-plane when the tyres lose contact with the road, and your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an aeroplane. She told the 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'd had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries..
·
· NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on.
Hey Delta, doesn't look like a wet day on your avatar either, but I guess you must have started aquaplaning with the cruise control on????
-- Edited by The dog lady on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 09:45:52 PM
If the concept of crashes wasn't serious the whole post would be funny.
"lose traction on one wheel & the car accelerates & takes off like an aeroplane" Indeed. A bit late for April Fool jokes.
I wonder why aircraft have big engines....just toss some water on the runway & engage cruise control & up up & away!
What does that pic have to do with the story? Doesn't even look to be a wet day.
"Don't use cruise when towing". Why the heck not? I, and many others do it when conditions are suitable. Never made me run into a tree airborne.
Gave me a laugh for today anyway.
The old idea of cruise controls was to screw up the fast idle knob. Bit different these days as Landfall suggests. If the computer detects a wheel increasing speed it will actually slow the engine to try to maintain speed not suddenly accelerate.
LOLOL
Sure got airborne when traction broke.
-- Edited by Delta18 on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 10:23:46 PM
-- Edited by Delta18 on Wednesday 10th of July 2013 10:43:37 AM
You are correct Duh. Usually I check on Snopes before posting information such as this, however as you say it is a fact we should all be aware of...
I've never liked cruise control BG, even on long straight trips, feel more in control with it off, doesn't give me fatigue not using it that I've ever noticed, or a sore foot!
Aquaplaning usually occurs when you can see raindrops hitting the layer of water on the road, it is dependant on speed, tyre tread and road surface and it is mainly the front wheels that lift up onto the surface layer of water and are no longer in contact with the road surface and you cannot change the direction of travel as there is no longer any grip on the road.
I have never experienced this condition but would hope that traction and stability control in the car would take over and get me out of a very frightening experience.
Cheers
David
Take care folks.
This is what hoax slayer has to say about the subject, quoting some other sources;
Detailed Analysis
This email forward warns that drivers should not use cruise control in the rain. The message claims that using cruise control can actually cause the vehicle to accelerate through the air if it hits standing water and hydroplanes (aquaplanes).
While the core claim (don't use cruise control in wet conditions) is valid, the message seriously mangles the facts and is therefore misleading and overly alarmist.
©iStockphoto.com/budgetstockphoto
An emailed warning about using cruise control in the wet contains elements of truth but is otherwise misleading and inaccurate
Certainly, using your vehicle's cruise control in wet or icy conditions can be dangerous - but not for the reasons outlined in this warning message. It almost goes without saying that aquaplaning can occur regardless of whether cruise control is engaged or not. Aquaplaning occurs when a tyre's grooves cannot remove water quickly enough and the tyre therefore loses contact with the road surface and skims across the top of the standing water. Car accidents often happen as a result of aquaplaning, but in many cases this is due to poorly maintained vehicles, driver inattention or poor road conditions and has nothing at all to do with cruise control.
That said, if cruise control is engaged when aquaplaning occurs, the driver's subsequent reaction could make the encounter worse than it may have otherwise been. For example, the driver may hit the brake heavily to disengage cruise control and this could lock up the wheels completely. Furthermore, drivers often move their feet away from the pedals when cruise control is engaged and they may also be a little less attentive than normal. In an aquaplaning situation the small delay caused by these factors could equate to the difference between a safe recovery and a serious accident. Also, an inattentive driver could hit the accelerator instead of the brake to disengage cruise control, and this could of course speed up the vehicle and lead to loss of control.
However, the claim in the message that cruise control itself can actually make the vehicle accelerate and fly through the air in a hydroplaning situation is dubious at best. A CarPoint Australia article that debunks the claims in the email notes:
This finding is confirmed by the RAA's Technical Manager Mark Borlace, who explains:
Thus, there is no inherent factor in the cruise control mechanism itself that could lead to a hydroplaning vehicle speeding up and flying through the air.
Like many email "warnings" there is no way of verifying if the event described in the message actually occurred or was simply added to drive home the core points. The version included here is set in Australia. However, other versions with virtually identical wording have featured US place names. Another popular version changes the location to a road between Gladewater & Kilgore, Texas. This duplication implies that, at least for later versions of the message, the perpetrator is not relating an actual incident he or she has experienced but has simply altered an existing message to fit local conditions.
The bottom line? Using cruise control in wet conditions certainly can be dangerous but it will NOT cause your vehicle to speed up and fly through the air. Engaging cruise control in any road situation that is less than optimal is ill-advised. Such road situations include not only wet and rainy conditions , but also icy roads, high traffic, poor visibility and rough, narrow, hilly or excessively bendy roads. However, do we really need an unverified and factually dubious email forward to make us aware of such factors? I would hope that not using cruise control in wet or other potentially dangerous conditions would simply be common sense for any responsible driver.
Cruise Control and Aquaplaning: the facts
I wouldn't tow in 5th gear with the Land cruiser and if I had cruise control I wouldn't tow with it or use it where driving conditions, speed and anything else was tricky.
What did we do before all these gadgets were attached to our vehicles?
Today I had to get a new battery. While there I eyed off an old Riley, maybe 1945 or a bit later. No power steering, no ABS brakes, and the indicators had been added later. The mechanic who had to drive it to the workshop had to take his big boots off because the pedals were too close together, and they started through the floor in an upright manner, rather than hanging down. Aircon was a couple of vents behind the front mudguards. Yes, folks, I did mention "mud guards". Those were the days.
I think that is what I said but in much fewer words.
Yep, those were the days of cars that were uncomfortable, unsafe, uneconomical etc. etc. But we were young and petrol was cheap
.
Ahhh, 8 in the back of the ute at 2am going rabbit shooting.............................don't think I could even climb into the back of the old ute now
Is this an urban myth or what. I have been in exactly the same situation and the cruise control has said, hey, no way and turned off. Allowed me to gain control of the vehicle and avoid an embarrassing situation.