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“Your tires have far less traction on wet pavement than they do in dry conditions, so slow down before you get to a wet-looking spot and before you start to turn left or right,” he says. “If you’re not using cruise control, you might be paying much more attention to driving, which is always a good thing in bad weather conditions,” he says. The only way to stop wheels from spinning and maintain control is to immediately reduce power. An activated cruise control system applies continuous power, keeping the wheels spinning. By the time you disengage the cruise control it may be too late – you may have already lost control. HowStuffWorks provides a clear explanation of cruise control’s function.
Top tips for driving safely in the rain
As a result, you may find that your vehicle’s windows become foggy when you operate it while it is raining. Most cars’ ventilation systems include a function that will reduce this type of fog that develops on the interior of your windows and windshield. It may be necessary to pull over if you can no longer see through your windows. You can disable it by applying your brakes, but if you do not have anti-lock brakes, hitting your brakes while hydroplaning will only worsen the skidding.
Hydroplaning
Your car’s cruise control may detect this as crossing your selected speed limit, so it may decelerate a little. Cruise control doesn’t cause aquaplaning or hydroplaning per se. The speed you select and the wet road cause the problem, which is more likely and may worsen if your tires have worn down treads. Furthermore, cruise control won’t make any changes by itself if your car hydroplanes.
Arkansas: Tips on how to drive safely in a rainstorm - 4029tv
Arkansas: Tips on how to drive safely in a rainstorm.
Posted: Mon, 01 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, most adaptive cruise control systems have a response time of 1.1 seconds, significantly longer than human drivers. This delayed response time may cause an accident if an obstacle or a vehicle ahead poses a threat. If you use the cruise control of your vehicle in the rain you are at risk of hydroplaning your car and losing control of it. As it begins to rain the rainwater will create puddles on the road surface. 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.
Avoid Cruise Control On Slippery Roads
This is exacerbated by cruise control, which can require you to use your brakes to regain control of the vehicle. When excess water sits on top of the road, tires can lose traction and hydroplane causing your vehicle to slide uncontrollably. It doesn't take much – driving 35 miles per hour or faster with as little as one-twelfth of an inch of rain on the road makes any type of car, SUV, truck or four-wheel drive at risk for hydroplaning. Tires that have more wear also increase this risk so be sure to check your tires' tread depth regularly. In the rain, using cruise control at higher mph can cause hydroplaning. Or, in snow and ice, vehicles may lose traction, resulting in a skid into another lane or a spin off the road.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Cruise Control On Slick Roads
If you do start to hydroplane, let up on the gas, hold the steering wheel with both of your hands, and steer in the direction of the skid. Once you’re back in control, you might want to pull over a bit to get your bearings and regroup. No. but you are legally and financially liable if you cause an accident by using cruise control in the rain. The reason is that unsophisticated cruise control systems on older cars or cheaper new cars will continue to apply more power if it detects that it needs more power to maintain a particular speed.
While most drivers instinctively jam on the brakes, that’s a bad idea. It’s harder to drive safely in the rain because of limited visibility — especially at night — so test your windshield wipers. If they’re not performing well, you may need to purchase and install new wiper blades. That’s an easy DIY project, though you can also have it done for you at your local gas station or auto parts store. Whether it’s during a drizzle or a downpour, driving in the rain can be challenging and hazardous.
AAA reminds people to avoid cruise control during rainy weather - - CBS19 News
AAA reminds people to avoid cruise control during rainy weather -.
Posted: Mon, 15 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
However, when cruise control is engaged, the car won’t respond until you press on the brake, says Van Tassel. Avoiding cruise control when driving in the rain leaves you with more options in a loss-of-traction situation. Helping maintain a set miles per hour, this automatic system reduces fatigue on long highway trips. And adaptive cruise control enhances safety by maintaining a safe distance from surrounding vehicles.
Beware of hydroplaning
So, let’s all take some responsibility for how we drive and call ‘time’ on the clickbait articles suggesting you can blame something else. Back to Google… the top entry I found was written by someone who clearly assumed that cruise control was some dim-witted force that could be tricked in wet weather. And, that if your vehicle began to aquaplane, which is the root cause of this myth, that cruise control will cause the vehicle to speed up out of control.
A vehicle’s speed is generally measured via either the driveshaft or transmission. And, so, cruise control is measuring the speed of the driven wheels. And here is the key, if your vehicle begins to aquaplane on a wet road and the wheels begin rotating faster, then cruise control will release the throttle to slow down the vehicle to the pre-set speed. Cruise control is a great feature, especially on those long road trips.
However, you still shouldn’t use cruise control for the reasons I’ve shared in this post. The poor visibility, skidding, and traffic-related hazards that often accompany driving in the rain make using cruise control a dangerous idea. A car at a very high speed can lose contact with the road when there’s standing water, especially if the tires have treads worn down to 3 mm (0.12 inches). Tire treads with a depth of 1.6 mm (0.06 inches) are highly vulnerable to hydroplaning.
Road grip and visibility are already major concerns when it’s raining. A delayed reaction time can be the difference between an accident and getting home safe. Therefore, you shouldn’t use cruise control set at your normal speeds on any route in the rain. You should revise it and reduce the speed—and that is only if you choose to use cruise control.
Because you are maintaining a steady speed this allows your engine to not have to work as hard to keep your vehicle moving at a steady speed. This, in turn, allows your vehicle to get more miles per gallon out of that tank of gas which saves you money in the long run. This can lead to hydroplaning, which means your vehicle spins out of control at high speeds. If this occurs while using cruise control, the use of breaks on your car can lead you to lose control and potentially spin out as both the brakes and tire will fail to gain any traction. Likewise, winter driving carries with it a similar set of perils.
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