Table Of Content
Plus, the wet road or terrain is unlikely to offer the firm grip your car or its tires have in normal conditions. However, people often reduce the speed further during a torrential downpour or if visibility is a problem. Likewise, the road conditions will influence the speed at which they set their cruise control.
Top tips for driving safely in the rain
Being behind the wheel with a rain-splattered windshield doesn't have to be an agitating, scary experience. The first step is to check your windshield wipers and replace them when streaking occurs. And while many of these other safety tips might seem like common sense, it's always good to run through a mental checklist when driving in the rain. Cruise control can increase your reaction time and significantly affect your control of the vehicle. This applies to both conventional and adaptive cruise control.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Cruise Control On Slick Roads
Some systems also have a speed limiter option and more advanced systems use radar to detect the distance to the vehicle in front and adjust your speed to its speed while keeping a safe distance. Some vehicles will use the brakes or gears to slow you down if you drive downhill. You may have brand new tires, they can also slip on the road surface if you are driving on wet roads. It’s best to only use your cruise control in optimal conditions and not in the rain or on wet roads. For all cruise control’s benefits, using it in rain or winter conditions isn’t a good idea. As a vehicle’s cruise control tries to sustain speed in inclement weather, tires may lose grip and cause an accident.
Watch Out for Standing Water
The system varies throttle inputs to maintain an even speed, using an actuator instead of an accelerator. As that happens, the throttle valve opens or closes, controlling how much air enters the engine. By maintaining a constant speed, it lets you concentrate on the road and also helps reduce fatigue. The big splash you get when you drive through a huge puddle can be costly. If water enters the engine compartment of your vehicle, it can damage the internal systems. Once you have safely passed, tap lightly on your brake pedal to dry off your brake rotors.
Myth Busting: Can you use cruise control in the wet?
I will cover all these versions while explainingthe pertinent safety concerns of using cruise control in the rain. This will allow you to maintain full control of your vehicle and adjust the speed of your automobile according to how the road is being driven. This is especially crucial for drivers who reside in parts of the nation where it rains often.
Let's Debunk The Idea That It's Not Safe To Use Cruise Control In The Rain - Jalopnik
Let's Debunk The Idea That It's Not Safe To Use Cruise Control In The Rain.
Posted: Wed, 31 Jul 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Hydroplaning
Wet roads are dangerous because the rainwater causes the oil and grease on the road to rise up to the top of the water. This creates a slippery, ice-like condition on the road, but it can get much worse if your tires can't tread through the water fast enough. When that happens, it's called Hydroplaning, and it can happen at speeds as low as 35 MPH. Like I mentioned above most cruise control systems are not going to be intelligent enough to detect if you are driving on icy roads.
When coupled with rain, cruise control can lead to disastrous — and potentially deadly — results.
It’s true that you’ll probably be more alert while using cruise control in the rain than you are when driving in pleasant conditions. This slow speed is unlikely to be a risk factor as an isolated element. However, many people have their cruise control speed set much higher than the minimum. So, It is in your best interest to avoid using cruise control while driving in bad weather. Hydroplaning is more likely to occur in worn tires, therefore maintaining their condition is another way to avoid losing control of your car in the rain.
While cruise control may seem a safe option for driving long distances in heavy rain, the less-manual cruise control approach may be more of a hindrance when confronted with split-second judgments on slick roads. Cruise control allows drivers to maintain a steady speed while using less gas. Cruise control makes hydroplaning worse by trying to keep your vehicle going at a constant speed. You can disable it by applying your brakes, but if you do not have anti-lock brakes, hitting your brakes while hydroplaning will only make the skidding worse. In rainy conditions, your driving should be as predictable as possible to others on the road.
Is it safe to use cruise control in the rain?
The same writer then went onto argue with a reader in the comments section that he was correct because his car didn’t have traction control to stop his car from accelerating out of control in the wet. Hydroplaning is one of the most common car accidents in the rain because drivers can lose control. If your car hydroplanes, calmly take your foot off the accelerator and steer. You should steer in the direction that the front of your car wants to go.
Road safety tips for driving in wet weather - The Dallas Morning News
Road safety tips for driving in wet weather.
Posted: Fri, 27 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
If this happens while you’re on cruise control, using the brakes might cause you to lose control and perhaps spin out. The next time you find yourself behind the wheel of car in a rainstorm, be sure to disable cruise control. If you end up hydroplaning, your cruise control can make it a lot more dangerous.
You can lose control with as little as three inches of water on the road. And even if you manage to stay in control, a larger vehicle could push some of that water underneath your car, causing your engine to stall. Most states require drivers to turn on their vehicles’ lights while driving in the rain. Even if it is only misting, turning on your vehicle’s headlights will increase your visibility and other drivers’ ability to see your car on the road.
The internet is really useful for many things, ranging from letting your wi-fi enabled refrigerator to blast Yoo-Hoo ads 24/7 to letting you play Canasta with a naked man halfway across the world. But one of the things it truly excels at is spreading misinformed hysteria, often about driving. Such a case is the persistent and dire “don’t use cruise control in the rain” warning that has been floating around for well over a decade. If you’re on the highway or a road with several lanes, try to keep an open space on at least one side of your vehicle at all times. This way, if something happens in front of you and you don’t have enough time to brake, you can immediately move left or right, he says. Your tires should be properly inflated — which allows them to have the most traction on the road — and have enough tread.
The cruise control feature in your car often has a minimum speed limit of 25 mph (~40 km/h). The cruise control feature isn’t identical for all cars, including different models of the same brand. You may have either conventional or adaptive cruise control in your car.
A car or vehicle ahead of you is also at risk of hydroplaning in the rain, among other hazards. A conventional cruise control system won’t assess any obstacles or traffic ahead, creating a potential collision if the car in front brakes, stops, or even reduces its speed for any reason. Cruise control works by monitoring your car’s speed and then adjusting the throttle inputs to keep it at the same speed. It’s usually only accurate to within 3-5kph so it’s not a good idea to set it to 107kph because you may exceed the police’s tolerance level. To maintain the set speed, the engine has to fight against wind resistance, inclines, and the rolling resistance of the tires.
No comments:
Post a Comment