Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 02:41 pm, by: Tamatha Chapman(4ltrv8)
Some of you who are good at maths or logic could perhaps pass an opinion as to whether or not this is possible....
NEVER KNEW THIS BEFORE
I wonder how many people know about this?
A 36-year-old female had an accident several weeks ago and totalled her car. A resident of Wollongong, NSW, she was travelling between Wollongong & Sydney. It was raining, though not excessively, 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 policeman 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 policeman told her that if the cruise control is on and your car begins to hydroplane -- when your tyres 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 policeman that was exactly what had occurred.
The policeman estimated her car was actually travelling through the air at 10 to 15 kms per hour faster than the speed set on the cruise control. The policeman said this warning should be listed, on the driver's 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 road is dry.
The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the policeman), was a man who had had a similar accident, totalled 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
Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 03:43 pm, by: Michael James(Wildwizard)
Cut and paste hack too
hydroplane is a noun and not a verb in English English but is a noun and a verb in American English, if it really did originate in Australia then it would use the word aquaplane instead
The issue of using what the cruise will do is way off the mark, about the only difference between a car that starts to aquaplane with and without cruise engaged is how fast the driver can react, assuming of course that they even know how to get the car back under control in that situation anyway.
Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 04:01 pm, by: Katrina Bruns(Katrina)
agreed, in the US its hydroplane and yes, I thought we were one of the few to use the word. As for the issue of cruise.. I have it and will never use it. That is the ONE extra option my Cobalt came with and I will not use it. Especially on a 5 speed.. makes no sense to have cruise on a 5 speed.
Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 04:46 pm, by: Peter Nitschke(Pen)
I can't see that the choice of gearbox makes any difference at all. Anytime you need to maintain a certain speed for any distance, cruise control does it for you.
Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 05:12 pm, by: Katrina Bruns(Katrina)
I guess its just personal preference on whether you like cruise or not.. me personally, I've had it on almost every vehicle I've ever owned.. just dont like it
Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 05:29 pm, by: David Vaughan(Davidv)
Dare I mention Isaac Newton? A car will not accelerate without a force being applied, so the bit about going 10-15km/h faster than was set on the cruise control, and then taking off (presumably flapping its door handles for lift) is simply hilarious . Well, um, I get a kick out of it anyway
That said, cruise control on a wet road with variable water depth is not really a good idea. Your foot response on the throttle to loss of grip at the rear wheels is much faster than the time it takes you to switch off cruise control manually or with the brake. It is theoretically possible to feel slight surging from the cruise owing to loss of traction on the front wheels but the rears are more likely to be the problem because they carry also tractive force. If the fronts are losing it owing to cornering force then slow down!
So, my view is that there is a germ of truth in the story in that it is safer not to use cruise in heavy rain, but the given scenario is silly. The last bit, to send the e-mail to fifteen people in case you save one, is purely viral.
P.S. Not sure where you are coming from not using cruise control with a five-speed gearbox Katrina. I use it with mine as often as I did with the auto.
Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 09:09 pm, by: Tim Appleton(Timbo)
Don, you're on the North island. Have you seen the roads inland of Ashburton on the South island? They're straighter and longer than most of what I've seen in Australia (excluding the Nullabor Plains). Half an hour in a straight line is not uncommon. Still, with the cruise control off, you're less likely to fall asleep from boredom.
Don Bagnall Moderator New Zealand I have LESS Soarers than Hayden :-(
Monday, March 27, 2006 - 10:25 pm, by: Ben Dowdell(Ben)
i had never had cruise before the soarer and now i could not live without it. i agree with you Peter as it makes life so easy. i have driven back from Melbourne to Adelaide through the South East in p*ssing rain and never had an issue with any planing whatsoever. about the only plaining i had was from the g/f about the speed ... err of the rain.
David Vaughan wrote on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 05:29 pm:
Your foot response on the throttle to loss of grip at the rear wheels is much faster than the time it takes you to switch off cruise control manually or with the brake.
minimal difference i would think and no different to a driver who unless has both hands on the wheel at 10 to 2 will take to drop the drink can, mobile phone, bag of chips or the snake for that matter to gather up the ol' sawla.
i would agree the use or non use of cruise is a personal 1 and if it does make you feel like you are 'driving' a car more without it all the V8 power to ya.
Previous
. Well, um, I get a kick out of it anyway 
