Safetey Info (Not a Joke)
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 excessive, 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 loose 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 whathad occurred.
We all know you have little or no control over a car when it begins to
hydroplane. You are at the mercy of the Good Lord. 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 drivers 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.
If you send this to 15 people and only one of them doesn't know about
this, then it was all worth it. You might have saved a life.