Cruise Control In Winter?

Question

I'm wondering why it is not advised to use cruise control during the winter. Is there any reason? What will happen if you do?

Thanks!

But why will it make you loose control of the car?

Answer 1

I have heard not to use it in the rain, but not the cold.

Answer 2

Cruise control has only one task. To keep the speed at a certain level. If your tires hit ice and yoru wheels begin to spin, the cruise control will keep the gas engaged and will likely apply more power. This makes it very hard to recover.

If you aren't using cruise control and your car hits an ice patch, the first thing you do is take your foot off the gas right? You dont' hit the brakes, your don't floor the gas. Cruise control is like hitting the gas on ice.

I only use cruise control in the winter when the roads are clear.

Answer 3

You mean you missed the email when it went around?

Here's the meat of it:

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 youtake 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.

Answer 4

Cruise control should only be used on dry roads.

Cruise control attempts to maintain a steady speed by the information fed the system from various sensors. If traction breaks on one or more wheel positions (a slide or spin) it has no way to know the information it is getting is wrong and may take the incorrect action, worsening the problem. You should avoid using cruise control in any wet, snowy, or icy conditions.

Answer 5

Cruise control is fine in winter unless the roads are slippery, than cruise control can make you loose control of the car.

Answer 6

Cruise control is not as smart as what is between our ears. It does not know when we are approaching a bridge or overpass, where the cold may mean spots of ice. It does not know when we have lost traction due to the icy or cold wet condition of the road. It cannot see road conditions ahead of us.

When a human brain is in control of the car & is alert to variable driving conditions ahead, then the human brain is likely to make decisions for safety.

If however, you let the cruise control do the driving, you are not paying as close attention to conditions as the adverse conditions call for.

Answer 7

If you happen to encounter slippery surfaces with the cruise control on, the cruise could cause the wheels to spin rapidly since it may detect that you were not going the preset speed. By the time you realize what is happening, you are most likely already skidding.

Answer 8

Any kind of slippery conditions such as rain, snow, or ice. I was traveling with a friend and they had the cruise control on and it was lightly raining, but at some point it turned to ice, and the car lost control when it hit it and we ended up in the ditch.

Answer 9

if the car breaks traction the cruise will not react fast enough and it attempts to reengage in a instant and you could not have the car back under control. If you find a slippery road and no one is around try it sometime its fun and you will learn what it will do.

Answer 10

because the road condition is vary and it's dangerous to drive on the exact same speed using cruise control

Answer 11

in case of whatever (ie snow ice....) , you can simply remove your foot from the gas petal to stop accelerating faster, rather than turning off cruise control or apply the brake to shut it off....(applying the brake could make you loose control on snow or ice).....