Sounds like a good thing to know.
A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totaled
her car.
A resident of Kilgore, Texas, she was traveling between
Gladewater & Kilgore. 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 occurence.
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 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 pavement is dry.
The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the
patrolman), was a man who had a similar accident, totaled his car and
sustained severe injuries.