Hydroplaning?
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
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Hydroplaning?
Received this in an email. Urban myth or what?
NEVER KNEW THIS BEFORE
Iwonder 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 aeroplane. 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 sunvisor - 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 at 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, 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.
NEVER KNEW THIS BEFORE
Iwonder 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 aeroplane. 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 sunvisor - 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 at 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, 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.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,818
Likes: 83
From: Cedar Rapids, IA
Myth. While any driving requires the driver to pay attention, wet, snowy, or icy conditions require special attention and using cruise control isn't really a good idea in those conditions anyway.
That being said, cruise control works by attempting to maintain a constant wheel/axle speed. It has no idea what the vehicle speed is (no GPS link to cruise). So if the car begins to hydroplane or slip on snow/ice, the cruise will not attempt to increase the wheel speed to maintain vehicle speed.
My personal opinion is before a warning as proposed by the officer appears on a visor, there better be a warning reminding drivers not to text message, read books, or shave while driving in any weather condition.
-Rod
That being said, cruise control works by attempting to maintain a constant wheel/axle speed. It has no idea what the vehicle speed is (no GPS link to cruise). So if the car begins to hydroplane or slip on snow/ice, the cruise will not attempt to increase the wheel speed to maintain vehicle speed.
My personal opinion is before a warning as proposed by the officer appears on a visor, there better be a warning reminding drivers not to text message, read books, or shave while driving in any weather condition.
-Rod
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,818
Likes: 83
From: Cedar Rapids, IA
CO River Rat
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,209
Likes: 0
From: Lake Havasu City AZ
Someone, somewhere, at one time probably had CC engaged and started to hydroplane, then hit a dry patch and the vehicle leaped forward before CC could be turned off. That's not as cool as the vehicle growing wings and flying, so the event had to be jazzed up a little when telling others about it.
Steve
Steve
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