Reply
Sun 26 Jan, 2003 02:38 pm
Safe Driving Tip
I never knew this so it may help someone in my mailing list. Good
idea!!!
An individual had a wreck a couple of weeks ago and totaled their
Lincoln Town Car. She hydroplaned on Hwy 135 between Gladewater and
Kilgore, Texas. She was not hurt, just emotionally rattled!
She learned a lesson I'd like to pass on to you. You may know this
already--but the highway patrolman told her that you should NEVER drive
in the rain with your cruise control on. He said if you did and
hydroydroplaned (which she did) that when your tires were off the road
your car would accelerate to a high rate of speed (which it did). You
don't have much, if any control when you hydroplane, but you are totally
in the hands of God when the car accelerates. She took off like she was
in an airplane. She is so thankful she made it through that ordeal.
Please pass the word around about not using cruise control when the
pavement is wet or icy. The highway patrolman said this should be on the
sun-visor with the warning about airbags.
The only person she found out who knew this (besides the patrolman) was
a man who had a similar accident and totaled his car. This has made her
wonder if this is not why so many of our young people are dying in
accidents. Be careful out there!
I had an accident once due to cruise control, but it wasn't like this. The car had a 5-speed tranny and I had my feet tucked back away from the pedals. Suddenly, traffic slowed in front of me and I went for the brake with my foot, pumped once, twice, nothing. Bang! I nailed this poor guy in the rear, but actually did a lot more damage to my own car.
What I did was miss the brake and hit the clutch.
I never use cruise control anyway...but I never heard that. Makes sense...I'd think you'd want to be a little more attentive to actually 'driving' in bad weather.
I agree with Slappy. I use cruise control, but only in good weather and light traffic.
That's what I do, too, Phoenix. Which means I do not use it very often because traffic usually isn't really light around here. Or the roads are just not made for cruise control. It's great on the autobahn in Austria. Put to just above the speed limit, move the left lane and go.
cjhsa, I had a habit once (repeat, once) of curling my feet under the pedals on long drives. Red tail lights started flashing ahead and I reacted fast to braking. Trouble is, my braking foot got stuck under the pedal. So, I used my clutch foot, good, no - the pedal couldn't go down because of the foot. Panic attack, I guess. Fianlly yanked my foot out and got braked just in time.
Like I said - once!
BillW
I know exactly how you felt. I use a cane and when I get into the car I put it on the passenger side. Several years ago my wife in sitting in the passenger seat moved the cane. I started the car and pulled out upon getting to the corner I stepped on the brake and nothing happened. As luck would have it-it had snowed several days before and there was a bus stop and a large mound of snow on the cross street. I made a sharp right turn and aimed for the snow pile. That stopped the car. Than I looked down at the brake pedal to see what was wrong and low and behold the end of the cane was directly under it. From that time on the first thing I do before pulling out is make sure I know where the cane is.
Thanks, Misti. I didn't know that, and never thought of it.
hydroplaning Hoax chain email
I received this same letter from a family member and this was my reply.
Please always check your sources and do not clog up the internet with hoaxes
Performing my random act of kindness:)
Sema
You're right, of course, sema. The car won't accelerate. The driving wheels do. This is called a skid.
Misti, thanks for the tip, even if the technicalities aren't quite accurate.
Another unsafe use of cruise control is driving while tired, which is unsafe at any time. I almost lost control when I started to nod off while driving on a long desert road in Arizona. That is a mistake I'll never make again.
And remember, children: hitting the brakes while hydroplaning is just mad stupid.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace