Safety Concern?

[GunnerRob]

My wife's uncle forwarded this to us today and I've never heard of this before.

What do you think?

(I realize this isn't Z related, but I'd think that a lot of you all have vehicles with this option that may affect you)

"This is something good to know, in case you like to use the cruise

control

An individual had a wreck a couple of weeks ago and totaled their Lincoln Town Car. She hydroplaned on Hwy 135 between Gladewater & Kilgore, Texas. She was not hurt, just emotionally rattled!

She learned a lesson I'd like to pass on to you. You may know this

already--but the highway patrolman told her that you should NEVER drive in the rain with your cruise control on. He said if you did and hydroplaned (which she did) that when your tires were off the road your car would accelerate to a high rate of speed (which it did). You don't have much, if any control when you hydroplane, but you are totally in the hands of God when the car accelerates. She took off like she was in an airplane. She is so thankful she made it through that ordeal. Please pass the word around about not using cruise control when the pavement is wet or icy.

The highway patrolman said this should be on the sun-visor with the warning about airbags.

The only person she found out who knew this (besides the patrolman) was a man who had a similar accident and totaled his car. This has made her wonder if this is not why so many of our young people are dying in accidents. Be careful out there!"

web site for confirmation:

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/cruisecontrol.htm

[2ManyZs]

I've had it happen to me once or twice....:stupid:

I guess I never learned my lesson the first time...

I had it happen last summer pulling the camper with the Ram. Cummins with high torque + rain+ towing a 8K plus pound trailer= wheelspin, usually when you least expect it. Hit a spot that had a little standing water and had my hands full for a minute....

I've also had a full size Chevy Blazer cause me to do donuts on an ice and snow covered interstate just because I was in overdrive (30-35mph)and the automatic suddenly downshifted out of overdrive. That's one reason I will never own another automatic:angry:

[Doehring]

This thread is very important, it is correct.

Concerning automatic: I once had a 280ZX with automatic trans.

On a rainy day I entered the bended entrance to a highway. I saw a truck coming, not too far away. So I accelerated hard. The AT kicked down from stage 3 to 1st gear. The wheels spun and I "flew"sideways into the highway. Okay, when I lifted my right food the AT shifted up to the 3rd gear and the car stabilized itself but didn't accelerate enaugh. So the truck gave me a light push, nothing really serious, but nevertheless a hard lesson. The next day I sold the AT and got a new MT. That's the car we still have, see in my gallery "Partenen".

Since then I never bought an Automatic again.

Being in the US the rental cars I had all had AT. The only advantage to me was that I could get used to "left foot braking", good for rallying!

Rolf

[Dan Baldwin]

Originally posted by GunnerRob

MYou may know this

already--but the highway patrolman told her that you should NEVER drive in the rain with your cruise control on. He said if you did and hydroplaned (which she did) that when your tires were off the road your car would accelerate to a high rate of speed (which it did). You don't have much, if any control when you hydroplane, but you are totally in the hands of God when the car accelerates.

...

The highway patrolman said this should be on the sun-visor with the warning about airbags.

OK, how's the CAR gonna accelerate when the drive tires are off the road?! The tires will spin, causing a loss of lateral stability, but the car certainly won't accelerate. I for one HATE those big ugly airbag warnings on sunvisors. It's stupid enough that "safety" items that can pose a health hazard should be mandated anyway, but surely any carbuyer could be informed of this without having a fricking billboard on his sunvisor.

I use my cruise control in the rain all the time. Certainly you have to use it with discretion or not at all in seriously bad weather or road conditions.

What is needed is not a buncha warnings stickered all over the car, or stupid ideas like "never use cc in the rain", but EDUCATION of drivers on the physics of how a car works, and parking lot driving tests at and beyond a car's limits, so drivers will know what to expect and how to react when they inadvertently exceed their cars' limits in the real world.

[2ManyZs]

Well Dan, believe it or not the cruise control can actually floor the throttle if you have wheel spin. I have had it happen in an older 85-87Chevy's (I know, figures for GM) but it will do it. The older cars with the vacuum canisters connected to the cruise control will do it even quicker than the newer cruise controls.

I haven't had it happen lately, but I don't see how the newer ones are any different. It is not as noticeable with a vehicle with a LSD as it is with one with an open rear, one wheel spins, and the cruise will then increase the throttle before you can react. :cross-eye

It doesn't happen as often in the rain as it will if you hit a patch of black ice or an icy bridge. I've had it happen in a tractor trailer hitting a overpass that was freezing over, increases the "pucker factor" even more when you are beginning to jackknife, and have no control over the throttle.

[GunnerRob]

[What is needed is not a buncha warnings stickered all over the car, or stupid ideas like "never use cc in the rain", but EDUCATION of drivers on the physics of how a car works, and parking lot driving tests at and beyond a car's limits, so drivers will know what to expect and how to react when they inadvertently exceed their cars' limits in the real world.]

Dan, I couldn't agree with you more.

It boggles my mind to hear how some people completely panic under minor abnormal driving situations. It's like I what to tell these people "go out to a empty parking lot or field somewhere and invoke your car into these situations to see and feel what it's like and then learn to correct it!" GET PREPARED! IT'S YOUR LIFE!!!

I'm with you. The less government intervention the better.

BTW I don't use CC in my other car. I prefer to control ALL aspects of driving a car.

[ardKore]

werd.

my mom had a little mild experience with that on a trip to texas in which we had a trailer hooked up to our suburban. the weather was bad and switched from rain to snow every so often. it was cold (around 30F) and when it rained the rain would freeze. the freeway had lots of bridges and there would be that sign to watch for ice on the bridge. well, my mom would slow down, or if she had the CC on, just drive through the bridges. the first time the trailer lost it and jerked the truck, but she remained on the road. the second time she slid at an angle but managed to regain traction safely. hehe, i wanted to drive after that. with the trailer i found that accelerating through the bridge would be safest, and if you want to go through it slowly, slow down BEFORE the bridge. when we lost traction slowing down on the bridge the trailer kept going because of its momentum, aggravating our slide, pushing our sliding car. so accelerating through the ice pulled the trailer. i'm not sure what my true point is, but well, if you're towing something and the bridges are icy, accelerate through them, or most importantly, don't slow down on the bridge.

go influx datum go!

[Alfadog]

So, you're saying I shouldn't use the hand throttle in bad weather??? ROFL

[beandip]

:classic: aftadog,what do you know of Black Ice ,and driving in snow and such ?? seriously , is there areas in O Z where this is a problem??

[Alfadog]

The original post was about driving in rainy conditions ... rain, although very rare here at teh moment, does occasionally happen!

Icey roads I think don't pose a problem in Australia... maybe in lower Victoria or Tasmania it might though.