Don’t Use Cruise Control when Driving in the Rain–Truth!
Summary of eRumor:
A warning from a driver who lost control of his or her car during slippery conditions and was told by a law officer that cruise control should never be used when it is raining.
The Truth:
We checked with the departments of transportation for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington State as well as visiting several websites of other states and the consensus is clear: Don’t use cruise control during winter conditions such as when it is snowing or icy or under other slippery conditions such as when it is raining.
The comments and warnings we found were:
…The cruise control is designed for normal road conditions. It doesn’t know when the pavement is slippery. Under slick conditions, you need to be in complete control and monitoring road conditions. You’re more likely to notice hydroplaning if you are not relying on the cruise control.
…With some cars, it is possible that the wheels will actually spin faster when the cruise control is on and the car hits a slippery spot. When the tires make contact with firm road again, the car can skid or lose control.
…On most cars, the cruise control is disengaged by tapping on the brake. In an emergency, this adds a fraction of a second to your response time as well as the risk of the braking action itself causing a loss of control on a slippery road.