Rick Becker forwarded me this:Sonny, A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totaled her car. 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 drivers 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 a similar incident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries.
If you send this to 15 people and only one of them doesn't know about this, then it was all worth it. You might have saved a life.
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Topic - OT: Never use cruise control when it is raining or icy - John Marks 09:44:16 11/12/04 (60)
- Thanks for the thought, Mark . ( nt ) - Julien43 16:14:20 11/13/04 (0)
- John, you seem like a bright guy, why didn't you check Snopes. com? - vettracer 07:59:13 11/13/04 (1)
- Already noted by John C. - Metralla 08:15:14 11/13/04 (0)
- True Story - Ghetterbeast 02:06:11 11/13/04 (3)
- thanks - you rule - nt - Replevin 20:27:06 11/13/04 (0)
- Re: True Story - AlphaGeek 10:42:09 11/13/04 (0)
- Re: True Story - Robert Deutsch 08:51:58 11/13/04 (0)
- Another Urban Legend - Peter Gunn 21:18:28 11/12/04 (18)
- The Audi 5000 debacle was strickly driver error. - GTF 10:41:57 11/13/04 (5)
- Not true - Peter Gunn 11:35:25 11/13/04 (4)
- What new technology? an automatic transmission? - GTF 12:02:50 11/13/04 (3)
- This is the kind of stuff why.... - Sean 21:46:34 11/24/04 (0)
- I test drove one new, just to see what the problem was ... - Jack Seaton 06:34:22 11/14/04 (1)
- I used to ride my motorcycle at 70 mph in the rain. - GTF 15:45:19 11/14/04 (0)
- Don't knock ALL German cars; my Porsche flys every day:) - uncle mag 10:07:51 11/13/04 (11)
- My father owned a variety of Porsches in succession... - Steve Parry 21:55:08 11/13/04 (1)
- Re: My father owned a variety of Porsches in succession... - MylesJ 10:35:02 11/16/04 (0)
- Re: Don't knock ALL German cars; my Porsche flys every day:) - Peter Gunn 11:44:18 11/13/04 (8)
- Just to keep this on topic, what sound systems do you guys have in your cars - uncle mag 23:53:22 11/13/04 (1)
- Re: Just to keep this on topic, what sound systems do you guys have in your cars - Peter Gunn 10:46:00 11/14/04 (0)
- Your Beemer wasn’t a Gold Buggy was it? - three_sox 16:20:57 11/13/04 (4)
- Re: Your Beemer wasn’t a Gold Buggy was it? - Peter Gunn 17:34:19 11/13/04 (3)
- The 320i is a good little car ......... - three_sox 18:22:13 11/13/04 (2)
- you lucky bastard - Peter Gunn 10:34:26 11/14/04 (1)
- That is nice...maybe use a MMG for a rear wing...upgraded crossovers of course - uncle mag 12:16:13 11/14/04 (0)
- Thanks, I'm sure he does. - uncle mag 12:10:19 11/13/04 (0)
- Flying cars? Put down the bong, John. - Jack Seaton 20:50:12 11/12/04 (2)
- Re: Flying cars? Put down the bong, John. - Peterloplop 20:20:20 11/13/04 (0)
- then how do you explain.......... - mark111 13:15:39 11/13/04 (0)
- OR tone controls - Green Lantern 17:55:01 11/12/04 (0)
- With all due respect.............. - three_sox 17:43:58 11/12/04 (0)
- Hidden Agenda - LarryI 17:04:48 11/12/04 (1)
- LOL [nt] - Dave Kingsland 05:57:45 11/13/04 (0)
- actually, i just realised i do drive my car in cruise during rain ... - Christine Tham 16:59:23 11/12/04 (3)
- Confession time Christine - what do you drive? nt - John C. - Aussie 18:41:42 11/12/04 (2)
- audi a4 (nt) - Christine Tham 13:40:30 11/13/04 (1)
- Nice (nt) - John C. - Aussie 14:28:30 11/13/04 (0)
- i have been monitoring fuel consumption on my car ... - Christine Tham 14:47:55 11/12/04 (7)
- John is right.... - vettracer 07:47:34 11/13/04 (1)
- Actually, my car *does* rev harder in wet weather! - Christine Tham 13:37:57 11/13/04 (0)
- No, it is increased resistance - John C. - Aussie 14:57:47 11/12/04 (4)
- you could be right, however ... - Christine Tham 16:54:46 11/12/04 (0)
- Re:"...the smooth concrete paving, so common in the U.S. and Canada..." - Neil49 15:35:14 11/12/04 (0)
- Most likely . . - Grillcloth 15:27:51 11/12/04 (1)
- That could be another factor - John C. - Aussie 15:40:54 11/12/04 (0)
- Stop criticising - the post was well intentioned - John C. - Aussie 14:11:37 11/12/04 (0)
- whatever - prw 13:42:34 11/12/04 (0)
- Re: OT: Never use cruise control when it is raining or icy - Doc B. 12:54:12 11/12/04 (1)
- Now... - E-Stat 04:23:16 11/13/04 (0)
- Can you say "PRODUCT LIABILITY"... - SPARKS 1st 12:12:46 11/12/04 (2)
- Nonsense - Brian Walsh 15:28:48 11/12/04 (1)
- That's exactly my point... - SPARKS 1st 18:59:04 11/12/04 (0)
- Flying Cars - Chris O 11:16:31 11/12/04 (0)
- Argh... more chain letter SPAM - Dave Kingsland 11:15:03 11/12/04 (4)
- I'm not a scientologist but, having slipped and fallen on ice a thousand - uncle mag 10:29:15 11/13/04 (1)
- Point taken, but... - Dave Kingsland 08:11:11 11/14/04 (0)
- Re: Argh... more chain letter SPAM - Tom 12:44:08 11/12/04 (0)
- Re: agree chain letters are a waste of good bandwidth - Aroc 11:46:04 11/12/04 (0)
- Re: OT: Never use cruise control when it is raining or icy - Harmonia 11:08:40 11/12/04 (0)
- Thanks, John. - Al Sekela 09:52:04 11/12/04 (0)
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