Debora Schumacher        
Patient Education Resources
Richmond VAMC (141B)
1201 Broad Rock Blvd.
Richmond, VA 23249
804-675-5695
Debora.Schumacher(at)med.va.gov 

 I wonder how many people know about this?

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
hydroplane 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 had 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 and your car begins to hydroplane --
when your tires lose contact with the pavement, your
car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed and you
take off like an airplane. She told the patrolman that
was exactly what had occurred.

The highway patrol estimated her car was actually
 traveling through the air at 10 to 15 miles per hour  

faster than the speed set on the cruise control.

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.

 

Please drive safely and sensibly. Nobody needs to be in that big of a hurry for anything!