Just read this in an email and I thought I would share.
Anyone tried it and does it reallywork???
How to achieve good vision while driving during a heavy
downpour.
We are not sure why it is so effective; just try this
method when it rains heavily. This method was told by a Police friend who had experienced and confirmed it.
It is useful...even driving at night. Most of the
motorists would turn on HIGH or FASTEST SPEED of the wipers during heavy downpour, yet the visibility in front of the windshield is still bad........
In the event you face such a situation, just try your SUN GLASSES (any model will do), and miracle! All of a sudden, your visibility in front of your windshield is perfectly clear, as if there is no rain.
Make sure you always have a pair of SUN GLASSES in your car, as you are not only helping yourself to drive safely with good vision, but also might save your friend's life by
giving him this idea..
Try it yourself and share it with your friends!???
Amazing, you still see the drops on the windshield, but not the sheet of rain falling.?
You can see where the rain bounces off the road.? It
works to eliminate the "blindness" from passing semi's spraying you too.?
Or the "kickup" if you are following a semi or car in the rain.? They ought to teach that little tip in driver's training.. It really does work.
This warning is a good one! I wonder how many people know about this!!!
Cruise Control!!
A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totalled her car. A resident of Kilgore ,Texas she was travelling 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 a similar accident, totalled 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.
Onedodger said
05:39 PM Mar 7, 2010
The cruise control one is a falacy , because if the wheels speed up the vehicle will decelerate sensing incorrectly that the car has increased speed. This was proved by the myth busters.
Any vehicle that aquaplanes will increase speed to some extent and all braking and control is extremely limited. As a matter of fact a quick dab on the brakes will disengage cruise control also.
I will however give the sunglasses a go as I always carry them.
xina said
06:35 PM Mar 7, 2010
I'll try the Sunglasses thing too
Cheers,
xina.
twobob said
06:36 PM Mar 7, 2010
I have heard the story re cruise control before, and it had me baffled how it could cause a problem, in itself. I did though come up with one senario where it is possible, but highly unlikely.
I believe we should think more about the body of the message, which is, when road conditions are less than good, leave it off and take full control of the vehicle.
The sunnies is right, but I use the yellow tinted ones, much better.
Disco Duck said
06:41 PM Mar 7, 2010
I like the sunglasses trick too........DUCKS look sooooo cool in sunglasses. !!
Who cares about the rain.....we don't get any in South Australia.
JRH said
06:42 PM Mar 7, 2010
twobob wrote:
I have heard the story re cruise control before, and it had me baffled how it could cause a problem, in itself. I did though come up with one senario where it is possible, but highly unlikely.
I believe we should think more about the body of the message, which is, when road conditions are less than good, leave it off and take full control of the vehicle.
The sunnies is right, but I use the yellow tinted ones, much better.
Welcome back twobob, haven't seen much of you around lately, where you been hiding??????????
JRH said
06:43 PM Mar 7, 2010
Disco Duck wrote:
I like the sunglasses trick too........DUCKS look sooooo cool in sunglasses. !!
Anything is an improvement I suppose:):):):)
Cruising Granny said
06:51 PM Mar 7, 2010
I think the sunglasses work best if they are Polaroid.
I don't know if it works without it.
Next time it rains in Cairns I'll try my brand new multi-focal sunnies which I know aren't polarised.
I'm very wary of cruise control, and Rosy doesn't have it. She's the plain Jane of the '95 Landcruisers. No bells, no whistles, no cruise control.
xina said
07:57 PM Mar 7, 2010
Never used to use CC when I did have it. I still think it's the cause of a lot of road deaths.
If you don't use it, you have to concentrate more on your driving. Put it on, you don't have to worry about speed, and you can relax too much, and go to sleep easily on long trips.
Cheers,
xina.
Catweazle said
10:05 PM Mar 7, 2010
Cruise control? I'm in agreement with others in not liking it under any circumstances. It's 'lazy driving' IMO.
Sunglasses in heavy rain?
Darn poor advice, far as I'm concerned. Polarised glasses might well give some vision benefit in rain, but bottom line is that if the rain is so heavy that you have difficulty seeing even with the wipers then the only really 'safe' thing to do is to pull over and stop.
jimricho said
08:45 AM Mar 8, 2010
I'm inclined to believe the cruise control advice and not the sunglasses story. I'll try the sunglasses next time I'm driving in heavy rain, I may not have too long to wait as I'm currently in Swan Hill. Ambient light levels are often quite low in heavy rain, an environment not suitable for sunnies.
Several years ago a close relative of mine had a nasty accident on a slippery road when he lost control as he engaged the cruise control.
jonathan said
09:11 AM Mar 8, 2010
Hmm .. I simply drive to conditions .. atmospheric and my own ..
Thanks Bush n Beach I also was looking for that site.
And I too agree with the others IE. if the conditions are bad then use manual control and concentrate as any water can be dangerous.
Martin said
09:52 PM Mar 8, 2010
find somewhere safe and stop and wait for the rain to stop my life is worth a hell of a lot more than 5 mins or even 1 hr
Palebushman said
11:55 PM Mar 8, 2010
Catweazle wrote:
Cruise control? I'm in agreement with others in not liking it under any circumstances. It's 'lazy driving' IMO.
Sunglasses in heavy rain?
Darn poor advice, far as I'm concerned. Polarised glasses might well give some vision benefit in rain, but bottom line is that if the rain is so heavy that you have difficulty seeing even with the wipers then the only really 'safe' thing to do is to pull over and stop.
Now that's pretty sound advice 'Cats' good onya mate.
Cruising Granny said
07:06 PM Mar 9, 2010
Pulling off carefully is my preferred option, and I had to use it a lot in the Kimberleys, and in particular in Broome during one of those spectacular, ferocious thunder storms, when visibility is all but zero, the roads become the storm drains, and the force of the water run-off even pulls on the Landcruiser wheels.
Meanwhile the hoons in their lowered cars with low-profile tyres spray their way up the streets, throwing water all over other cars and pedestrians, as well as increasing the chance of a crash, especially at roundabouts.
I know the sunglasses help, but don't make it any safer - just improve visibility a little.
However in Qld it's almost impossible to pull off the black top. There are no verges or fog lanes to even pull off and out of the way of other traffic.
To attempt pulling off the road could mean going down a steep, deep ravine or culvert.
No wonder the road toll is so high in this state. There's no where to take evasive action.
Anyone tried it and does it reallywork???
Cruise Control!!
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..
NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS
along with the airbag warning. We tell our teenagers to set the
I believe we should think more about the body of the message, which is, when road conditions are less than good, leave it off and take full control of the vehicle.
The sunnies is right, but I use the yellow tinted ones, much better.
Jon (currently in Blayney, NSW)
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/cruise-control-warning.html
And I too agree with the others IE. if the conditions are bad then use manual control and concentrate as any water can be dangerous.
my life is worth a hell of a lot more than 5 mins or even 1 hr