DonB Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I got this from a friend who has C/C on her car, Our Mondeo doesn't, so I'm in no position to agree or disagree. I suspect that this "warning" originated in the USA Is this true?...... Quote:- A good tip... There was an accident some weeks ago. It was raining, though not excessively and the car suddenly began to hydroplane and literally flew through the air. The driver was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence when he explained to the police what had happened. He thought he was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain. The Policeman told him something that every driver should know - NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON. But the policeman told him that if the cruise control is on, your car will begin to hydro-plane when the tires lose contact with the road, and your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an aeroplane. The policeman 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 , The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the policeman), was a man who had a similar accident, totalled 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 windscreen wipers are on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 16, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 16, 2011 My vehicle handbook includes the warning not to use the cruise control in slippery conditions (I don't use it in any conditions as it happens being not at all keen on the idea). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Not heard that one before and most of my cars have had cruise control. I may have been lucky but then I hadn't read this..... http://www.livinginternet.com/i/ia_myths_cruise.htm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I use it all the time. I do 'feel' the road first by turning the steering wheel a little. If the front end feels light, I won't use it. If there is a lot of surface water, I generally won't use it, but if I do, I keep my left hand positioned on the steering wheel where I can knock the lever forward and disengage it instantly without having to touch the brake if the car aquaplanes, plus I keep my left foot ready to drop the clutch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted January 16, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 16, 2011 I have cruise control but rarely get to use it due to the density of the traffic (and that of a lot of the other drivers ) on the roads I use regularly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I'm a great fan of cruise control and use it everytime I drive in the car. The last time I experienced aquaplaning was when my car was on the back of an AA tow truck and I was a passenger in the cab. The AA truck demolished the wall of a pub - my car survived with scratches. I have driven in ice and heavy rain and never experienced "taking off like an aeroplane" - perhaps I have just been lucky. But then I am an eternal skeptic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I think a lot of aquaplane accidents are just as much down to driver inexperience or not knowing how to react if the car enters a slide on surface water. If the car is on cruise control, dropping the clutch or depressing the brake will disengage it anyway. Its probably the case that the car aquaplaned, the driver panicked and hit the brake, lost control, then blamed the cruise control. All you have to do if you hit surface water is drop the clutch and let the vehicle roll deadweight across the water. The tyre treads will be more effective at displacing the water and maintaining a bit of grip if the wheels can roll at their own speed. Obviously if you brake, the tyre treads are no longer doing their job displacing water and you slide whichever way the laws of physics take you.B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 The usually-reliable snopes urban myths debunking website says it's true, don't use it in wet/slippery conditions http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/wetroad.asp Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noiseboy72 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Most modern vehicles have more than just "Speed Hold" cruise control. It is an extension of the ECU, so it will disengage if the wheels start to spin or skid. Ford's ESP package is utterly brilliant in the wet, even on big Transits and Galaxys. You do need to learn how to use it though, as it works best if you just brake and hold the line, rather than the old fashioned method of turning into the skid and applying gentle throttle. I spent an interesting afternoon with a Ford Rally driver learning just how good the system really is. A wet road where it has rained after a prolonged dry spell tends to exhibit very low traction, as the grease, oil and muck is lifted out of the surface and floats on the water. I would suggest that this is more likely to catch out a driver than driving on a well soaked road, even with a few puddles. I tend to use cruise on dual carriageways and motorways, where deep puddles are rare unless it has properly rained. Common sense suggests not using it if braking and steering may be compromised. If you are an "average" driver (And lets face it, most of us are) then the best advice must be not to use it on wet or icy roads. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim the Tram Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Never had an issue with CC in any conditions. Modern cars take the CC data from a lot more than just the speed sensor so cannot see why they'd accelerate just because it is slippery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I have had cruise control for the last 5 years and never had an issue with it, although don't noramlly use it in snow, as I feel less in control with it on in really slippery conditions. Although all my cars with it have been fords, I have heard of people with BMW's having issues in wet as I am told the speed sensor is on the front wheel yet the car is rear wheel drive, so if the front wheels stop or change speed as can happen when aqua planing it can confuses the cruise control. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I never use cruise control - and I've often driven more than 500 miles per day - even on the I95 through Virginia (people that have driven this stretch will know what I mean). When it first came out (in the cars I use) in the '80's I tried it but found it took away some of my alertness on long trips. There's a lot of crap still on the internet - I know because I was part of some historic audio recordings (a very small part) and the nonsense that's written about them has built up to huge mythologic status. When I say to someone "...but I was there, I knew the guys involved....." I often get back ""it's on the internet, though....." you can't win. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I've only ever had one experience of cruise control - and that was in a Holden Commodore that I hired in Melbourne. Weirdest sensation I've ever had, not touching the accelerator pedal at all! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trains4U Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 No problems in my Mondeo - TBH Cruise Control is a godsend in average speed camera routes (Like the A14 between Huntingdon and Bar Hill) as you can set the car at 70 and concentrate on the traffic, rather than your speedo... Never had a problem in wet or ice - it would disengage if the traction control kicks in anyway, which would happen under these circumstances. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted January 17, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2011 I don't use CC in the ice but do use it in the rain. It has disengaged its self when hitting excess surface water and so far has never caused or come close to causing a loss of control. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 - TBH Cruise Control is a godsend in average speed camera routes (Like the A14 between Huntingdon and Bar Hill) as you can set the car at 70 and concentrate on the traffic, rather than your speedo... Isnt it just - I like it in the 'temporary' (ha ha) limits for roadworks because TBPH after ten miles of that, I feel I'm actually less alert than if I was doing normal motorways speeds and having to cope with other traffic moving at a differential Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 My concern is that where-ever you put your right foot it will take you longer to get it to the brake pedal when you need to. Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 My concern is that where-ever you put your right foot it will take you longer to get it to the brake pedal when you need to. Ed On the contrary, I often sit with my foot hovering over the brake pedal, so often quicker on the brakes if needed than without CC on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 My concern is that where-ever you put your right foot it will take you longer to get it to the brake pedal when you need to. Ed So you drive with your right foot always on the brake pedal then? I know quite a few motorists give that impression, often in the middle lane of a motorway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I've never had an issue with cruise control, and have used it on and off since the mid '80s (depending on whether my car was equipped with it) and I have never heard of the issue mentioned. It is a wonderful tool for long distance motoring in light traffic. I don't use it if conditions are variable, but I wouldn't be concerned in rain unless there was ponding on the road. On long trips I get significantly better gas mileage when using cruise control compared to trying to hold the same speed manually. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted January 18, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 18, 2011 There are many systems marketed as "cruise control" which range from the fairly elementary speed limiters to the now-complex electronic sensory management systems. But no matter what is fitted I will not under any circumstances use anything called "cruise control". I have driven a great many vehicles from tiny cars to double-deck coaches and in several countries in both hemispheres of our planet over the past 36 years. That doesn't necessarily make me a good driver but it does make me an experienced one. I believe there is truth in the OP comments with reference to cruise control not responding correctly in the wet. I also believe there is no substitute for an alert driver responding constantly to continually changing road conditions. Even on a 1000-kilometre interstate trip with hour after hour at 100kph on the open highway conditions change constantly. Is that car back there faster or slower? That truck up ahead - how safe does his load look and is his tarp flapping or secured? Having full active control over speed is a part of being an alert driver. Some "labour-saving" devices actually lull drivers into false security. Automatic transmission has made driving easier because all we need to do is steer a tin box; fewer drivers hold manual licences (though most still do) and very few now have had experience of crash-box vehicles. Handling those really helps you to learn road-craft and driving as opposed to steering and braking. Having a device which allows you to effectively not worry about your speed is just another means to create false security as it becomes too easy to sit back, forget what is going on around you and let the car drive you. That is when disaster strikes. Any half-decent driver should be able to maintain either the maximum permitted speed or a safe one for the conditions at all times. Judgement comes with experience but with cruise control we never develop that skill. I feel the same way about reversing cameras. Vehicles which are legally required to be fitted with speed limiters fall into a different category. Firstly the actual permitted speed is always lower than that which is set on the limiter and second the limiter is not of itself cruise control though is sometimes referred to as such. Thus a truck which may be limited to 72mph might only be permitted to travel at 60mph or less most of the time. The small "over speed" margin is required for safety (to get out of trouble if needs be) and allows a small margin of electronic error. If you set cruise control to 70mph for a UK motorway trip and suddenly need to accelerate away from a situation briefly you may be unable to do so. And in the event that you did get stopped for speeding in such an event it's worth remembering that there is always the opportunity to explain your circumstances; a very short burst at 75 to avoid a major collision occurring is possibly justifiable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 There are many systems marketed as "cruise control" which range from the fairly elementary speed limiters to the now-complex electronic sensory management systems. But no matter what is fitted I will not under any circumstances use anything called "cruise control". I have driven a great many vehicles from tiny cars to double-deck coaches and in several countries in both hemispheres of our planet over the past 36 years. That doesn't necessarily make me a good driver but it does make me an experienced one. I believe there is truth in the OP comments with reference to cruise control not responding correctly in the wet. I also believe there is no substitute for an alert driver responding constantly to continually changing road conditions. Even on a 1000-kilometre interstate trip with hour after hour at 100kph on the open highway conditions change constantly. Is that car back there faster or slower? That truck up ahead - how safe does his load look and is his tarp flapping or secured? Cruise control in no way prevents you from continually evaluating the road and traffic conditions. It reduces fatigue on long trips (particularly on the legs), and, in my experience, it saves fuel. Any half-decent driver should be able to maintain either the maximum permitted speed or a safe one for the conditions at all times. Judgement comes with experience but with cruise control we never develop that skill. I feel the same way about reversing cameras. Cruise control normally is only used in light traffic conditions on highways. Since, IMO, most driving is done in conditions where you cannot use cruise control (heavy traffic, urban areas), the occasional use of it on longer trips does not prevent the development of driving skill. I know plenty of rally drivers who will quite happily use cruise control in their normal driving when the conditions are appropriate. If you set cruise control to 70mph for a UK motorway trip and suddenly need to accelerate away from a situation briefly you may be unable to do so. And in the event that you did get stopped for speeding in such an event it's worth remembering that there is always the opportunity to explain your circumstances; a very short burst at 75 to avoid a major collision occurring is possibly justifiable. No cruise control that I have used (cars and light trucks) prevents you in any way from accelerating as required - unless disengaged it will drop back to the commanded speed when you cease accelerating. They also disengage when braking, changing gears, or on command from the button on the steering wheel. I put in 55-65K km per year (mostly highway/motorway) and will happily use cruise control when conditions are appropriate (typically only about 5K km of that, as the highway traffic is usually too heavy) BTW. The warning in the Users Manual for my Subaru says: Do not use the cruise control under any of the following conditions. This may cause a loss of vehicle control: - driving up or down a steep grade - driving on slippery or winding roads - driving in heavy traffic The warning has been exactly the same in the owners manuals for the last three Subarus I've owned ('99, '02, '10). It is the only Caution or Warning associated with the cruise control system (most vehicle system have multiple warnings associated with them, so Subaru doesn't appear to have any major safety concerns with the use of cruise control - you have to see the CYA warings around the airbag systems to realize that the cruise control warning is very tame). Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dilbert Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I don't use cruise control because I don't want/need to ... if I'm feeling tired then I'll stop and hand over to someone else etc... my driving licence is still clean after many years... My FiL believes in cruise control - he reckons it has helped him avoid speeding fines/convictions but it won't be long before his driviing lcence gets retracted. The basic problem is that he does not drive well and according to the road conditions - and cruise control won't solve that, thought it may help in reducing the scope of the problem. He'll be eighty soon, and if he loses his licence then I think he will give up driving (and no bad thing either TBH)... dilbert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I don't use cruise control because I don't want/need to ... It is a matter of choice and NOT a matter of safety. I respect anyone making that choice for whatever reason they have (even if I think it is misguided - it remains their choice). I would equally expect others to respect my choice in using cruise control. I do not make that choice based on a feeling of tiredness. I still have full operational control of the vehicle and the ability to accelerate and deaccelerate at will. I also have a clean license after many years of motoring in just about any condition (again experience not especially good driver though I have taken and hold an Advanced Driving Certificate) but most of this remains irrelevant to my decision to use cruise control, drive a powerful, automatic car or remain a skeptic to the OP. I'm sure there are many drivers out there who drive badly (we probably come across them every day) but I doubt if their poor driving has anything to do with the use of cruise control. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dilbert Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 It is a matter of choice and NOT a matter of safety. I respect anyone making that choice for whatever reason they have (even if I think it is misguided - it remains their choice). I would equally expect others to respect my choice in using cruise control. And I don't have a problem with that ... When I worked in the Automotive Industry (with a Tier 1 supplier) fifteen to twenty years ago, a marketing study was done around reliability & safety. Some of the results were interesting and at that time many features were available as options only ... the majority of drivers believed that because cars were equipped with ABS, Airbags, EPS etc... that they could drive faster at no extra risk over a defined limit because they were protected by these systems it was accepted that mechanical parts are prone to failure, but when it came to electronics, then this was unacceptable regardless of climate conditions etc... this was in part due to inconvenience caused more than anything else. And in cohorts with that, electronic parts were deemed to be very expensive... (relatively easy to replace). I find it interesting with my GPS when I receive speed limitation recommendations that bear no resemblance to the area i am travelling thru... dilbert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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