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    Forums    MythBusters    Ideas: Everything Else    take off like a plane in a car

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Junior Member
Registered: 11-03-09
Posted   Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post  
i recently heard this story.. i didnt think it was possible, but that is what you guys are for Smile
here is the story...
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 excessively, when her car suddenly began to hydro-plane and literally flew through the air. She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!
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 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 when your car begins to hydro-plane and your tires lose contact with the pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane.
She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred.
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 had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries.
NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on.

i dont know about you guys, but my visor warnings dont say anything about cruise control... just thought it might be a fun idea to test..

Thanks!
Senior Member
Registered: 10-27-09
Posted   Hide PostReply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post  
This is posted somewhere on the forums about once a day...find those threads.
Junior Member
Registered: 11-03-09
Posted   Hide PostReply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post  
i apologize for any repeats.. i am new here
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    Forums    MythBusters    Ideas: Everything Else    take off like a plane in a car

 
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