Can the cruise control be used in the rain?
Security Systems,  Blog,  Machine operation

Can the cruise control be used in the rain?

There is a common myth that cruise control cannot be used when it is raining or on an icy road. According to "competent" motorists, if you activate the system and not turn it off when it rains on the street, this increases the risk of aquaplaning. The driver runs the risk of quickly losing control of the vehicle.

Let's consider whether cruise control is really so dangerous when the situation is difficult on the road?

Expert explanations

Robert Beaver is the Chief Engineer at Continental. He explained that opponents of this system spread such misconceptions. The company has developed not only a similar system, but also other automatic assistants for the driver. They are used by different car manufacturers.

Can the cruise control be used in the rain?

Beaver clarifies that a car is only in danger of aquaplaning when there is too much water and high speed on the road. The task of tire treads is to safely and quickly drain water from tires. Aquaplaning occurs when the tread stops doing its job (it depends on the wear of the rubber).

In view of this, the main reason is not the presence of cruise control. The car loses traction mainly due to improper driver actions:

  • I did not provide for the possibility of aquaplaning (there is a large puddle in front, but the speed does not drop);
  • In rainy weather, the speed limit should be lower than when driving on a dry road (whatever auxiliary systems are present in the equipment of the car);Can the cruise control be used in the rain?
  • Summer and winter tires should be changed in a timely manner so that the tread depth always meets the requirements for preventing aquaplaning. If the tires have a shallow tread pattern, the car loses touch with the road and becomes uncontrollable.

Cruise control and car security system

As Beaver explained, at the time of aquaplaning, the car’s electronics react to a loss of traction and the safety and stabilization system of a modern car activates an appropriate function to prevent skidding or loss of control.

But even if the automatic maintenance of the set speed is turned on, this function is disabled in the event of an abnormal situation. The security system forcibly reduces the speed of the car. There are some cars (for example, Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) in which the cruise control is deactivated as soon as the wipers are turned on.

Can the cruise control be used in the rain?

This applies not only to cars of the latest generations. Automatic shutdown of this system is not the latest development. Even some of the older cars were equipped with this option. In some models from the 80s, the system is deactivated when the brake is applied lightly.

However, Beaver notes that cruise control, while not dangerous, significantly affects the driver's comfort when driving on wet road surfaces. He needs to be extremely careful and constantly monitor the situation on the road in order to react quickly if necessary.

Can the cruise control be used in the rain?

This is not to say that this is a lack of cruise control, because in any case, the driver is obliged to monitor the road so as not to create or avoid an already created emergency. This review draws attention to a conventional system that automatically maintains a given speed. If an adaptive cruise control is installed in the car, then it adjusts itself to the road situation.

According to an engineer from Continental, the problem is not whether a particular vehicle has this option. The problem arises when the motorist uses it incorrectly, for example, does not turn it off when road conditions change.

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