can you use cruise control in light rain

Myth Busting: Can you use cruise control in the wet?

The internet can be awesome, but it can also get things very, very wrong… and whether you should or shouldn’t use cruise control in the wet is one of those things.

TYPE INTO GOOGLE (or your search engine of choice), ‘should I use cruise control in the wet’, or rain, or any derivation of that statement and you’re likely to get some sensationalistic article written by someone from a lifestyle blog. They’ll trundle out that wonderful line about how you should never, ever, ever use cruise control when there’s water on the road, or it’s raining, or, whatever because your car will speed up. And they’re wrong.

And the amazing thing is that that opinion was never correct, not even in 1958 when cruise control arrived on the scene. Now, before we go too much deeper, I’d like to point out that this article isn’t my opinion, rather, I chatted with the technical boss of a major car company to get to grips with the subject and compiled it from that conversation.

Back to Google… the top entry I found was written by someone who clearly assumed that cruise control was some dim-witted force that could be tricked in wet weather. And, that if your vehicle began to aquaplane, which is the root cause of this myth, that cruise control will cause the vehicle to speed up out of control. The same writer then went onto argue with a reader in the comments section that he was correct because his car didn’t have traction control to stop his car from accelerating out of control in the wet.

And no doubt you’ve all seen chain emails about some lady driving between somewhere and somewhere else in the rain, she aquaplanes and the vehicle begins speeding, she gets pulled over by a police officer who tells her you should never use cruise control in the wet. This email originated in the US, but has been Australian-ised. And it’s bollocks.

Let’s unpack some of this… What is cruise control and how does it work? According to The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, cruise control is: “[A] device which enables the driver to maintain a fixed speed. The vehicle will keep to the chosen speed regardless of road undulations unless the brake pedal or accelerator is touched. It is mainly used to reduce fatigue and comply with speed regulations on long trips.

Cruise control as we know it, was invented by a bloke called Ralph Teeter, who was blind. He came up with the idea after travelling with his lawyer who would slow down when listening to a conversation and speed up when talking. Teeter was one of the finest automotive engineers of his time and his patent for cruise control was filed in 1948 and launched on the Chrysler Imperial in 1958; and was standard fit on all Cadillacs of the time.

Cruise control controls your car’s speed via the throttle. In a car with a cable driven throttle there will usually be two cables side by side, one being the throttle cable proper and the other being the cable that the cruise control uses, which comes from an actuator via a vacuum instead of the throttle pedal. When cruise control is engaged the ‘second’ cable from the actuator moves, moving the throttle cable with it.

In a car with a fly-by-wire throttle then the system will be, obviously, an electronic arrangement. But, in both scenarios the system is designed to increase or decrease the engine’s power, which speeds up or slows the car down. The cruise control doesn’t usually touch the car’s brakes, it works on the throttle only. And if you’ve got a car with an automatic gearbox then the gears will change without affecting the cruise control.

The whole thing, no matter the mechanics of the system, is run through a cruise control computer which tells the cruise control when the car has reached the desired speed or when it’s falling away from the desired speed. It’s also able to tell the system when the brake pedal has been pressed so that it doesn’t try and fight against the driver, and instead deactivates the cruise system. Clever.

So, how does cruise control measure the speed of the vehicle? A vehicle’s speed is generally measured via either the driveshaft or transmission. And, so, cruise control is measuring the speed of the driven wheels. And here is the key, if your vehicle begins to aquaplane on a wet road and the wheels begin rotating faster, then cruise control will release the throttle to slow down the vehicle to the pre-set speed.

What does cruise control have to do with aquaplaning and travelling faster than the pre-set speed? Nothing whatsoever. Driving on a wet road is dangerous because grip is reduced. Add to that poorly maintained tyres (low grip, under or over-inflated) and you’ve got a recipe for disaster and cruise control has nothing to do with it.

Rather it’s how a driver reacts to aquaplaning that matters most, and quite often those who’ve engaged cruise control will nail the throttle to disconnect cruise control. And this can make a bad situation worse. Aquaplaning is the result of hitting a standing patch of water on the road and the tyre’s inability to shed the water quick enough, causing the vehicle to skim across the water without grip – travelling slower reduces the risk of this occurring. In most cases, you’ll skim only a short distance before the tyres regain their purchase on the road; your vehicle will aquaplane whether you’ve got cruise control on or not.

The next part of the argument is cornering and cruise control. Cruise control is simply a way of maintaining a set speed, it has no way of working out what’s on the road, what the corner’s like or whether you need to brake before the bend in the road. That’s the driver’s responsibility. And that’s the key here, when you get behind the wheel of a car, it’s the driver who needs to control the brakes, throttle and steering.

One example we were given by the engineer we spoke with was this: Say you’re on a road that’s signposted at 100km/h and you approach a corner where the suggested speed for that corner is 80km/h; the driver would slow down and drive around the corner. But, if you’ve got cruise control set, it doesn’t know the corner is there or how tight it is, it can’t read the sign, so it keeps the vehicle travelling at 100km/h. The perception is that the vehicle is taking the corner too fast and over-speeding and it is, only it isn’t. As mentioned, cruise control doesn’t know the corner is there and just maintains the speed that’s been set which is ultimately too fast, but it’s not cruise control’s fault, it’s the driver’s fault. And that’s because cruise control is not an auto-pilot.

Because the car has travelled around the corner too quickly and potentially lost grip and begun to either under- or oversteer, several vehicle safety systems will activate to keep the car pointing in the right direction. Traction and stability controls might activate, either killing engine power or braking individual wheels, or if fitted torque vectoring will activate and shuffle torque from the over-loaded wheels to those with grip. And, because all the systems are interlinked, cruise control will be killed.

But, in almost every scenario, it’s the driver’s responsibility to drive to the conditions, be they a corner, a dirt road, rain or heavy traffic. Blaming cruise control for your lack of attention, is like saying, the devil made me do it. So, let’s all take some responsibility for how we drive and call ‘time’ on the clickbait articles suggesting you can blame something else.

So, if you do want to use cruise control in the wet, go for it, but just like you would if you weren’t using it, set the speed a little lower than the signposted limit. And make sure your tyres are in good condition and inflated to the correct pressure.

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What is cruise control and how does it work?

Reader question: should i cancel cruise control downhill.

Isaac, I believe this is only partly correct. The cruise control will not drive you past the pre-set speed irrespective of the road surface conditions unless you are going over a hill crest before the set speed is reached, in which case you will exceed your set speed, particularly if you are driving an auto trans, and particularly those where the top 2 or 3 gears are overdrives which they nearly all are now. However it WILL accelerate your wheel speed wildly if you have previously disengaged it and you resume it when your road speed is substantially below the pre-set and you are on a slippery surface like ice or sheet water and going up hill. The more powerful your car, the worse the resulting mayhem as the torque kicks down the transmission because you are going slower than the trans wants to operate. Let’s say you’re set for 100kph but doing 70 behind a slow coach in the rain and you arrive at the bottom of a long slow hill with a passing lane approaching so you pull to the right lane and engage your cruise. The cruise knows you are doing 70 but wants to get you to 100 as soon as it can by throttling up until the drivetrain reaches the calibrated wheel speed. If you have little or no traction or it is compromised by road surface conditions, it will go ballistic. It will go wheelspin, no wheelspin, wheelspin, no wheelspin until you either have a panic and the car flies off the scene, or you disengage it. I think this phenomenon is behind some excursions into the shrubs by other people in my part of the world (QLD) during wet weather. I would like to hear what others (I’m thinking automotive engineers here) think about this.

Don’t be so stupid, don’t ever use cruise control in the rain

You’re very uneducated. It actually happened to me and I’m lucky to be alive.

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Is It Dangerous To Use Cruise Control In The Rain Or Snow?

Cruise control makes highway trips a breeze. By maintaining a constant speed, it lets you concentrate on the road and also helps reduce fatigue. It’s just nice to have.

On the other hand, rain and snow present unique driving challenges. With traction at a premium, wet or snowy conditions present car safety hazards and require focused driver inputs. 

So, can you use cruise control in the rain or snow? Let’s find out. 

How does cruise control work?

HowStuffWorks provides a clear explanation of cruise control’s function. The system varies throttle inputs to maintain an even speed, using an actuator instead of an accelerator. As that happens, the throttle valve opens or closes, controlling how much air enters the engine. 

Using cruise control is a simple process. Once you reach the desired miles per hour, press the “set speed” button to maintain it. If you want to go faster, press the appropriate button for an extra one or two mph. Conversely, hit the indicated deceleration button to slow down a little bit. 

While basic cruise control has been around for a while, modern cars have an even better version: adaptive cruise control (ACC). ACC sustains a set mph while keeping a set distance from vehicles ahead . 

Today’s ACC systems use high-tech equipment like lasers, cameras, and radars to sense the surroundings and optimize safety. Besides maintaining speeds and following distances, modern adaptive cruise control can stop before traffic and slow down in curves. 

How rain and snow affect cruise control operation

For all cruise control’s benefits, using it in rain or winter conditions isn’t a good idea. As a vehicle’s cruise control tries to sustain speed in inclement weather, tires may lose grip and cause an accident. So when raindrops fall or snow accumulates, human inputs are essential to avoid car accidents.

In the rain, using cruise control at higher mph can cause hydroplaning. Or, in snow and ice, vehicles may lose traction, resulting in a skid into another lane or a spin off the road. It could also result in a driver slamming on the brakes and getting rear-ended. 

When it comes to driving in low-traction conditions, there’s nothing like human senses and inputs. When a driver’s foot is on the pedal, they can detect tire spin, lift-off, and apply the brakes. That could mean the difference between a collision and driving away safely. Even ACC systems have a weather warning and that snow and ice can obscure vehicle sensors.

Other reasons to avoid using cruise control

Cruise control is also best avoided in stop-and-go traffic, while around pedestrians, or when you’re feeling tired . Here’s why.

Drivers shouldn’t use cruise control around town. With constant stops and starts, traffic lights, and pedestrians, it’s wise for drivers to control every aspect of their car’s performance. 

Or, when you’re feeling sleepy, it’s best to leave the cruise control turned off. Driving while tired isn’t a good idea in the first place, and a constant speed only adds to that. Cruise control encourages “passive” driving and decreases alertness. 

And in city environments, with pedestrians crossing streets, it’s good to turn cruise control off. You need to be aware of the surroundings and monitoring speed, without computers doing the work. That can lead to quicker inputs when needed. 

Cruise control is an essential feature of modern vehicles. Helping maintain a set miles per hour, this automatic system reduces fatigue on long highway trips. And adaptive cruise control enhances safety by maintaining a safe distance from surrounding vehicles.

But inclement weather, like rain or snow, presents challenges best handled by attentive driver inputs. So, in those cases, it’s best to leave cruise control turned off. Still, in dry conditions, this feature makes highway travel an easier experience. 

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Mark Reif has followed sports cars and auto racing since the early 80s, having read countless editions of Road & Track and Car & Driver and observed Formula 1, endurance racing, and the Indy 500. After earning a bachelor’s in industrial design from Virginia Tech, Mark finds himself looking deep into car designs to better understand their style and function. Living in Vermont and serving as a snowboard instructor, he’s interested in versatile all-wheel drive vehicles that can handle snow and ice. Mark has driven go-karts on closed circuits and loves the thrill of performance driving. He owns a Volkswagen GTI but loves German cars and Toyota trucks in general. He began writing automotive content in June of 2021 and joined MotorBiscuit as a contributor in 2023.

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Let's Debunk The Idea That It's Not Safe To Use Cruise Control In The Rain

The internet is really useful for many things, ranging from letting your wi-fi enabled refrigerator to blast Yoo-Hoo ads 24/7 to letting you play Canasta with a naked man halfway across the world. But one of the things it truly excels at is spreading misinformed hysteria, often about driving. Such a case is the persistent and dire “don’t use cruise control in the rain” warning that has been floating around for well over a decade.

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I only encountered it recently, a few days ago, when a friend asked me if this hyperbolic Facebook post on the traffic safety group The Pink Shorts Movement was accurate:

“A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago. 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 Police Officer 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 Police Officer told her that if the cruise control is on, your car will begin to hydro-plane when the tires lose contact with the road, and your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane. She told the Officer that was exactly what had occurred. The Officer said this warning should be listed, on the driver’s seat sun-visor - NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE ROAD 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 road is dry. The only person the accident victim found who knew this, (besides the Officer), was a man who’d had a similar accident, totaled 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. Even if you send this to 15 people and only one of them doesn’t know about it, it’s still worth it. You may have saved a life.”

Okay, so, first, being the savvy internet-users you are, you may have noticed that the whole tone of this just, you know, feels like bullshit. Like when your friend posts that their 6-year-old just articulately expressed wonder about why we humans can’t live in harmony, or like most of the shit on LinkedIn .

Also, this part:

“...your car will begin to hydro-plane when the tires lose contact with the road, and your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane.”

...is absolute horseshit. You cannot accelerate to a “higher rate of speed” (is there any other outcome when you accelerate? And can’t you just say “speed?”) while hydroplaning because if your tires are not making contact with the road, there’s no way you can actually continue to accelerate.

Sure, you can be sliding out of control and it absolutely feels terrifying when you hydroplane, but what’s described here isn’t accurate.

The bigger question, of course, is whether or not it is actually dangerous to use cruise control in the rain. I did a bit of research and found some pretty mixed opinions. Our sibling site Lifehacker came out supporting the cruise-in-the-rain ban back in 2014, and you can find this issue being discussed, either supporting or debunking, as f ar back as 2006 at least.

I wanted to get some real expert input on this question, because it’s really not as cut-and-dry as “never use cruise control in the rain” or “don’t worry at all, use cruise control in the rain.” That’s why I reached out to Robert Beaver, Continental Automotive’s Chief Engineer of Vehicle Dynamics in North America. Continental is a developer and supplier of cruise control systems for a number of automakers.

Robert explained a lot about the situation described in these posts and email forwards and articles. First of all, he made it clear that it’s not just rain that causes possible hydroplaning dangers, it has to be a lot of rain, enough so that there’s a significant amount of standing water on the road surface. Here’s what he said:

“First of all, you have to have a certain depth of water for hydroplaning. The tire tread washes water away, and that’s what keeps contact between the tire and the ground. If you have too much water where the tire can’t wash it away, so you lose contact between the tread and the ground, and the car will skid or yaw when that happens. Now, when that happens, the stability control system in the car will kick in, and just through physics the car will begin to slow down...it might feel to people like the car’s accelerating, but it doesn’t accelerate—in order to accelerate, there has to be some mechanism to move the vehicle. If you do enter a traction control event, or an ABS event, or a stability event, it’ll kick the cruise control off.”

That last line is especially significant. What that’s saying is that as soon as a car on cruise in heavy rain begins to hydroplane or skid or experience some other loss of control, cruise control kicks off.

This isn’t unique to one particular brand, this is how all cruise control systems work, and have worked since the widespread adoption of vehicle stability systems in the early 1990s.

So, unless something is wrong with your cruise control system, if you’re using it in the rain and you encounter a situation where the car begins to lose control, the cruise control system will be turned off immediately . It will not attempt to keep accelerating the car.

Even cars older than the 1990s will kill the cruise control from even the briefest tap on the brakes; if a cruise setup keeps accelerating, something is very wrong.

Now, while that means that accidents like the one described in that oft-copied warning post are not likely at all to happen, at least not because of what the cruise control system was doing after the initial loss of control, there still are reasons why you may not want to use cruise control in really bad weather.

Robert also made clear that the reason why you may not want to use it is simply that when you’re driving in heavy rain, with a lot of puddles on the road, you’ll want to pay more attention to the conditions you’re driving in, and cruise by definition is something that lets you not pay attention to a crucial aspect of driving.

Cruise control just understands that you want to keep the car at a set speed; so, if you have it on, and you’ve slowed down or are going uphill, it will apply more throttle to get you back to your set speed, regardless of whether or not the conditions are appropriate to be accelerating.

This isn’t really a problem with cruise control, it’s a problem with the driver’s decision to use cruise control. Of course, for most drivers, if you’re begin to feel like the amount of acceleration is unsafe, a simple tap on the brake will kick cruise off, no problem.

So, here’s the upshot to all this: you absolutely can use cruise control safely in the rain. At the same time, that does not mean that every single rainy weather driving situation is one that makes sense to have cruise control on. If the road conditions are really wet and slippery, it’s smarter to not use cruise because it is no longer advantageous to keep a set, unchanging speed. You may encounter road situations that demand a much lower speed, and you as a driver will want to be in control of that.

That said, no cruise control system on the market today will just keep accelerating after any sort of control loss happens, and hydroplaning does not make you go faster until you fly off the road and crash into a Chipotle.

The takeaway here is to drive at speeds that make sense for the conditions of the road you’re on, and if those conditions are variable enough that you can feel that you’ll likely need to occasionally slow down, then of course don’t use cruise control, because that’s just not what it’s for.

All good? You can drive in the rain with cruise control, just you know, pay a little attention to the world around you, and be ready to turn it off if you feel uncomfortable, or, if not, know that it will kick itself off if there’s any loss of control.

Please send this to your grandma so she’ll finally stop pestering you about it.

When Should You Not Use Cruise Control?

Table of Contents

Under What Conditions Should You Not Be Using Cruise Control?

Have you ever been driving along using your cruise control and had your wheels slip when you were driving down the road? Your cruise control system was not designed to be used in bad weather or on icy roads. This article explains why you should not use cruise control in the rain and why you should really only be using cruise control if the roads are dry.

What Is Cruise Control?

Cruise control is a feature that is installed on all new vehicles and should still be an option on most older vehicles even going back to the ’90s.  While cruise control technology has been updated over the years the basic function of cruise control is to make sure that your vehicle maintains a steady speed depending on whatever speed to you set it to.

The Downsides Of Cruise Control

While the technology in cruise control has been improved over the years it is still a somewhat un intelligent system.  Cruise control is designed to make sure that your vehicle maintains a certain speed regardless of what kind of road surface you are driving on.  

This can become a problem for you if you are driving with your cruise control on and you hit a slick spot on the road as your cruise control will remain on and try to power the car through the slick spot.  This can cause your vehicle to hydroplane out of control when you least expect it to.

Why You Shouldn’t Use Cruise Control In The Rain

If you use the cruise control of your vehicle in the rain you are at risk of hydroplaning your car and losing control of it.  As it begins to rain the rainwater will create puddles on the road surface.

If you are driving down the road with your cruise control on your car doesn’t realize that the road surface may have lost some of its grip from the rainwater and continue to accelerate forward as if there was no rain on the road.  

If you hit a spot of water in the road while your cruise control is on your car will continue to accelerate which can cause you to lose control of your car and slide off of the side of the road.  

That is why if it is raining outside you should not use your cruise control while you are driving. If you see a puddle of water in the road you are more likely to slow down and not accelerate through it where your cruise control is not going to know to do that.

Allstate also has a post on its website outlining the dangers of using cruise control in the rain and why you shouldn’t do it .

Why You Shouldn’t Use Cruise Control On Icy Roads

Like I mentioned above most cruise control systems are not going to be intelligent enough to detect if you are driving on icy roads.  This means that if you run into an icy spot on the road your car will still be trying to send power through the wheels to the ground which can make your tires slip and cause you to lose control of the wheel and slide off the road.

If you are ever driving on icy roads you should make sure that you keep your cruise control off and pay attention to the road surface to make sure that you don’t hit any patches of ice that could make you lose control of your vehicle.  

If you do see a patch of ice that you cannot avoid it’s good to slow down before you hit the ice patch so that you will have more control of your vehicle when you hit the ice patch.

Why You Shouldn’t Use Cruise Control On Slick Roads

Even if it is not raining it’s still not a good idea to use your cruise control on wet roads. This is especially true in the fall time when there could be wet leaves on the road. Even if it is not raining at that time a wet road surface can cause your tires to slip especially if your tires are worn down or bald.  

You may have brand new tires, they can also slip on the road surface if you are driving on wet roads.  It’s best to only use your cruise control in optimal conditions and not in the rain or on wet roads.  

That way your cruise control does not try to accelerate when it doesn’t have any grip on the road surface.  Always pay attention to the road surface in front of you to make sure that the path is clear from debris while using cruise control or driving in general.

Why Should You Use Cruise Control?

When you use cruise control for long road trips or even short highway trips this allows your car to maintain a steady speed instead of accelerating and decelerating constantly. Because you are maintaining a steady speed this allows your engine to not have to work as hard to keep your vehicle moving at a steady speed. This, in turn, allows your vehicle to get more miles per gallon out of that tank of gas which saves you money in the long run.  

With that said there are some people that are in the hyper mile community that can get a higher mile per gallon result if they use the gas pedal themselves.  Hypermilers would get a higher mile per gallon out of their car by only feathering the throttle and allowing their car to coast down hills instead of continuing to apply the accelerator.  

However, most people would benefit by using the cruise control instead of trying to get the best miles per gallon out of their vehicle by themselves because odds are you aren’t a hypermiler and you don’t know the best practices to be able to get the most mileage out of your tank of gas.

Adaptive Cruise Control

One new technology that has recently come out is called adaptive cruise control.  Adaptive cruise control allows your vehicle to lock onto the vehicle in front of you and follow the vehicle in front of you at whatever distance you choose.  

This is nice because you never have to worry about messing with adjusting your cruise control to match the speed of vehicles in front of you, your vehicle will do that for you.  

One thing to note is adaptive cruise control is still going to have the same limitations as normal cruise control in bad weather or on wet roads.  Adaptive cruise control may be able to judge the distances between you and the car in front of you but it still has no way to tell that you are about to hit a slick spot on the road.  That is why you should not use adaptive cruise control in the rain or on icy roads.

My Cruise Control Story

When I was younger I bought a v6 mustang (it was the first car I ever purchased with my own money) that did not have a locking rear differential.  This means that while the car could be powered by either of the rear wheels at any time both wheels don’t turn simultaneously if the wheels could not find any grip.

One time when I was giving my step father’s dad a ride home I was using cruise control on the highway and the road surface was somewhat wet.  As I was driving there were two distinct times where my back wheels lost grip to the surface of the road and started spinning uncontrollably.  

It’s important to note that It wasn’t raining at the time that this happened, the road was just wet from a past rainstorm that had passed through.  This encounter was scary enough that I learned my lesson and no longer drive with cruise control on if the road surface is wet or if there are icy roads.

In Conclusion

Now you should have a better understanding of why you shouldn’t use cruise control in bad weather.  While cruise control systems are used as an aid for drivers to get better miles per gallon while driving they are not intelligent enough to be able to cut power to the drive wheels of your car if you lose traction.  

If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle or a vehicle with a limited-slip differential this could aid in you losing traction while having cruise control engaged but it’s still best practice to not use your cruise control on wet roads or on icy roads.

You may also be surprised to know that you shouldn’t use cruise control in a brand new car.  The reason may surprise you.  To learn more about why you shouldn’t use cruise control in a brand new car click here .

Jake Jackson

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We began seeing this form of cautionary tale about automobile cruise control systems turn up in inboxes in November 2002:

I had a wreck a couple of weeks ago and totaled our Lincoln Town Car. I hydroplaned on Hwy 135 between Gladewater & Kilgore, Texas. I was not hurt, just emotionally rattled! I know the Lord was with me. I learned a lesson I'd like to pass on to you. You may know this already — but the highway patrolman told me that you should NEVER drive in the rain with your cruise control on. He said if you did and hydroplaned (which I did) that when your tires were off the road your car would accelerate to a high rate of speed (which it did). You don't have much, if any control when you hydroplane, but you are totally in the hands of God when the car accelerates. I took off like I was in an airplane. I'm so thankful I made it through that ordeal. Please pass the word around about not using cruise control when the pavement is wet or icy. The highway patrolman said this should be on the sun-visor with the warning about air-bags. The only person I've found out who knew this (besides the patrolman) was a man who had a similar accident and totaled his car. This has made me wonder if this is not why so many of our young people are dying in accidents. Be careful out there! Some good advice, and you may know this already, but it is good to repeat! 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 hydroplaned - 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 what had 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.

Although these accounts are probably "real" in the sense that they indeed reflect someone's attempt to describe an automotive mishap that actually happened to him, the explanation about a hydroplaning car's suddenly accelerating and "taking off like a rocket" due to the use of cruise control is a garbled one probably reflecting the author's misunderstanding of what had occurred.

Nonetheless, the warning inherent to the tale — don't engage your vehicle's cruise control on slippery or wet roads — is well worth heeding. Snow, ice, slush, or even rain can cause wheel-spin and loss of control, situations to which drivers must react quickly. Although cruise control can generally be cut off by the driver's simply tapping the brake pedal, the extra reaction time required for a motorist relying upon cruise control to recognize the danger of the situation when his wheels begins to spin or slide on a slippery surface, bring his foot up off the floor to the brake pedal, and disengage the cruise control can be crucial (especially for drivers lured into a hazardous level of inattentiveness on long, flat stretches of road).

According to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia's web page of tips about driving on wet roads:

The only way to stop wheels from spinning and maintain control is to immediately reduce power. An activated cruise control system applies continuous power, keeping the wheels spinning. By the time you disengage the cruise control it may be too late – you may have already lost control.

An example from the weekly "Drive It Forever'' automotive column by New York Times Syndicate writer Bob Sikorsky provided a description of one such occurrence:

Dear Bob: Cruise control can be dangerous. I have experienced, when driving in heavy rain or slush conditions with the cruise control set at a speed of around 70 mph, that one front wheel will hydroplane while the other wheel suddenly gets traction. Result: The car spins out and into the ditch or into traffic. I have been lucky to be able to catch it happening and touch the brake and recover quickly. As a former pilot, I literally wear the car and feel its moves and respond accordingly. Use of the cruise control in these conditions can be dangerous. Enjoy your column every week — keep up the good work. Sincerely, B.D., Albany, N.Y. A: While I haven't heard of this particular problem with cruise control, I can see your point — and indeed the experience you describe sounds like a hazardous one. The safety implications for an average driver are considerable. I agree, in short: In heavy rain or slush, the cruise should not be set at a high speed. For that matter, though, even without the cruise engaged, high speed under the aforesaid conditions is dangerous in and of itself. You really shouldn't be driving at 70 mph in slippery conditions, cruise or no cruise. Nor should any driver.

Wet-road driving is fraught with dangers that are not always immediately apparent. Just a thin layer of water lying on pavement can send an unsuspecting car hydroplaning into another lane — the car's wheels skim along the water's surface instead of making contact with the road. Also, roads constantly accumulate oily substances loosed by car exhaust, and this residue settles deep into the pavement. Rain brings this oil back to the surface, making roads especially slippery during that first hour of downpour or misting.

Likewise, winter driving carries with it a similar set of perils. Ice, snow, and sleet can make for dangerously slippery conditions, but so too can innocuous-looking slush and all-but-invisible "black ice." Those who habitually rely upon their vehicles' cruise controls should eschew the practice during the winter months, because the moments it takes to disengage cruise may be moments you don't have during a spin-out.

Garlits, Don.   "Ask Big Daddy."     The [Bergen County] Record.   24 April 1993   (p. B3).

Sikorsky, Bob.   "Drive It Forever."     The Dallas Morning News.   14 June 2002.

By Barbara Mikkelson

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7 Best Practices for Driving on Wet, Rainy Roads

​focus on preparation and maneuvering to stay safe​​.

Wendy Helfenbaum,

Whether it’s during a drizzle or a downpour, driving in the rain can be challenging and hazardous. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration reports that the vast majority of weather-related automobile crashes happen while it’s raining or on wet pavement.

Slick roads are a factor in close to 1.2 million vehicle accidents every year, according to the highway administration. Here’s how to stay in control of your car and keep yourself safe while driving this spring . 

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1. Get yourself and your vehicle ready for the road

Before venturing out in the rain, drivers should prepare themselves to drive safely, says William Van Tassel, who manages national driver training programs for the American Automobile Association and is based in Orlando, Florida.

“You need to be well rested and have a totally clear head; there’s no room for any sort of impairment when driving in tough conditions,” says Van Tassel.  

Make sure your car can handle the rain. Your tires should be properly inflated — which allows them to have the most traction on the road — and have enough tread.

“The tread helps evacuate the water between the tire and the road, so the deeper the tread, the better the traction,” explains Van Tassel. “We tend to take tires for granted, but they’re the most important part on the vehicle. If someone’s tires are underinflated or close to balding, they’ll have less traction on the road exactly when they need more traction.”

If you put snow tires on your car during winter, swap them out once the snow has melted, because summer tires do a better job in rainy conditions, he adds.

2. Make sure you can see and be seen

It’s harder to drive safely in the rain because of limited visibility — especially at night — so test your windshield wipers. They should clean the glass in one swipe, with no streaks. If they’re not performing well, you may need to purchase and install new wiper blades. That’s an easy DIY project , though you can also have it done for you at your local gas station or auto parts store.

If you’re anticipating frequent, heavy downpours, consider applying water-repellent products to your windshield that help water bead and run off the glass more quickly.

Turn on your defroster to prevent fogged windows, and wipe any dirt from your headlights, brake lights, turn signals and taillights so other drivers can see you better, suggests Van Tassel.

Many cars have settings that automatically turn on the headlights when the skies dim or the wipers are on, but it’s still a good idea to double-check that they’ve been activated during a rainstorm.

You’re about twice as visible to other road users when your headlights are on, so anytime you drive — day or night, rain or shine — turn on the headlights, Van Tassel says. 

3. Keep your distance

In bad weather, drivers should leave more room between themselves and the car in front of them.

“It’s really hard to hit something if you’ve got enough space around your vehicle, and drivers should increase their following distance to five or more seconds behind the vehicle ahead,” says Van Tassel.

If you’re on the highway or a road with several lanes, try to keep an open space on at least one side of your vehicle at all times. This way, if something happens in front of you and you don’t have enough time to brake, you can immediately move left or right, he says.

Pro tip: Because water tends to accumulate more in outside lanes, drive in the middle lane.

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4. Avoid sudden movements

When accelerating, turning, braking or steering in the rain, drive smoothly to retain maximum control, suggests Van Tassel.

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“We see drivers jerking the steering wheel, stomping the pedals or waiting too late to brake, and while you might be able to get away with that in dry conditions, when you start losing traction in the rain, you cause trouble for yourself if you’re really rough with the car,” he explains. 

Make gradual speed or steering changes, and start slowing your vehicle by taking your foot off the gas earlier than you normally would before gently squeezing the brake pedal. 

5. Don’t use cruise control

Normally in wet conditions, lifting your foot off the accelerator transfers weight to the front of the car and slows you down enough to allow your vehicle to regain traction. However, when cruise control is engaged, the car won’t respond until you press on the brake, says Van Tassel. Avoiding cruise control when driving in the rain leaves you with more options in a loss-of-traction situation.

“If you’re not using cruise control, you might be paying much more attention to driving, which is always a good thing in bad weather conditions,” he says.

6. Slow down

Most people drive too fast on wet roads, says Van Tassel. Tires can lose contact with a wet road at just 35 miles an hour, making it more difficult to control the car. Reducing your speed maximizes safety.

“Your tires have far less traction on wet pavement than they do in dry conditions, so slow down before you get to a wet-looking spot and before you start to turn left or right,” he says.

7. Don’t panic

Hydroplaning — when your tires float on a layer of water instead of the rubber meeting the road — can be frightening.

“You can turn the steering wheel left or right, but the car’s not going to respond, so it’s a really dangerous situation to be in,” says Van Tassel. “The first rule of thumb is, don’t freak out.”

While most drivers instinctively jam on the brakes, that’s a bad idea.

“You want to gradually get traction back to those front tires, so lift your foot off the accelerator. That shifts more weight to the front end of the car and gets those tires back on the pavement,” he explains.

If that doesn’t work, gently apply the brakes. By keeping the heel of your foot on the floor and using the ball of your foot and toes to work the pedals, you’ll have more braking control. Press too hard and you’ll throw the car into a rear tire skid, he adds. To correct a skid, continue looking and steering in the direction you want the car to go.

“Keeping your eyes focused on the target — the road ahead — tells your brain to help your hands and feet do what they should do to maximize the chance you’ll end up right where you want to be,” he says.

Because your vehicle’s reaction time is much slower in slippery conditions, reducing your speed helps you avoid hydroplaning or skidding.

“A little preparation and thinking about how we’re driving can really make a big difference,” Van Tassel says.

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Wendy Helfenbaum is a contributing writer who covers home improvement, gardening, automotive, real estate and travel. She’s written for outlets including Apartment Therapy , Houzz, BBC.com, WomansDay.com and Costco Connection .

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21 Tips for Driving Safely in the Rain

Driving in the rain is an everyday occurrence. Rain happens all the time, and people still have to go places even when it’s wet on the roads. But wet weather driving can be hazardous, causing skids, hydroplaning, and slick roads. It can be tough to keep control of your vehicle when roadways are wet, but these tips can help you stay safer. Follow these tips to tackle rainy roads like an expert — and know when it’s smart to avoid driving, turn around, or pull over to wait for the rain to pass.

• Don’t drive if you don’t have to : During heavy rain conditions and flooding, it is often better to stay where you are. If possible, stay out of hazardous rain and wait until the worst has passed before you hit the road.
• Slow down : Rain means you need to budget for a longer travel time as traffic will be moving slower, and you’ll need to slow down. Hydroplaning most often occurs when vehicles are driving too fast, so slowing down is a smart move. Take extra care to slow down when the rain starts, as fresh rain will bring out the oils on the roadway and make conditions slicker.
• Never use cruise control in wet conditions : Using cruise control during wet weather can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Drivers may need to reduce speed by easing off the accelerator to prevent traction loss, but this is not possible when using cruise control. Additionally, the driver must remain fully engaged during wet weather driving, so cruise control should be avoided.
• Turn on your defroster : Avoid windshield fogging that can interfere with your visibility by turning on your front and rear defrosters to clear it up.
• Give extra room to other vehicles : You should always maintain a safe following distance, but be especially careful to give vehicles in front of you plenty of room. That way, you’ll have more time to react to what’s up ahead. Be sure to watch carefully for brake lights ahead of you.
• Turn your lights on : If your windshield wipers are on, your lights should be, too. Headlights can help increase your visibility during the rain and make it easier for other vehicles to see you, avoiding a collision when it’s tough to see through the rain.
• Avoid hard braking : Use your brakes as little as possible, taking special care to avoid hard braking if you can. Slow down, give others room, and take your foot off the accelerator fast enough so that you won’t have to slam on the brakes.
• Avoid sudden movement s: Gentle steering, braking, and accelerating are best on wet roads.
• Stay away from areas prone to flooding : Know which roads in your area are likely to flood and take a different route if you’re experiencing heavy rains.
• Turn around, don’t drown : Driving into flooded areas can be dangerous and even deadly. Drive into a road that’s flooded too deeply, and your car could begin to float and take on water. It can even be washed away — with you in it. Don’t risk it. Check for depth gauges and know the roads you’re driving on. If you’re not sure how deep the water is, turn around and find another way.
• Never drive off-road during rain : You may become stuck in puddles that you can’t judge the depth of. Don’t drive through moving water if you can’t see the bottom.
• Know how to handle a skid : If your car begins to skid, don’t panic. Continue to steer in the direction you want to go and avoid slamming on your brakes, as it makes it harder to control your vehicle.
• Be calm if you’re hydroplaning : If your car starts to hydroplane, gently ease your foot off the gas and avoid steering. Just slow down and hold on until your vehicle regains contact with the road.
• Drive-in another vehicle’s tracks : Make it easy for your tires to handle the water and see what’s up ahead by following in the tracks of a vehicle ahead of you — give them plenty of space.
• Avoid large trucks and buses : The spray created by large tires can reduce your visibility, so stay away from them if possible.
• Be ready for gusty winds : With rain often comes wind, which can push your car and other vehicles around on the road or cause you to lose control. Keep a firm grip on your steering wheel, give a wide berth to high profile vehicles that may be more susceptible to wind, and be aware that you may be hit with strong gusts.
• Watch for pedestrians : Take care not to splash pedestrians. Watch for puddles along the roadway where they may be walking parallel to you as you drive. 88% of pedestrian fatalities happen in the absence of inclement weather, but that doesn’t mean drivers can let their guard down.
• Drive in the middle lanes : Water tends to pool more in outside lanes, so stick to the middle if possible.
• Check your tires : Your tires are your best friend in wet weather driving, providing traction and keeping you steady on the road. Check your tread and tire pressure to make sure you’re ready to hit the road even when it’s wet.
• Check lights and windshield wipers, too : Your windshield wipers can clear water quickly and help you see better, while lights give you and other drivers better visibility in the rain and dark. Make sure everything is in working order.
• Pull over if it’s really bad : If you can’t see cars in front of you or are having difficulty controlling your vehicle, simply pull over and wait for the rain to slow down.

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Why cruise control is bad during heavy rainfall

When coupled with rain, cruise control can lead to disastrous — and potentially deadly — results..

Cruise control stalk on the 2016 Lexus RX 350 SUV is seen on Sunday, January 24, 2016.

(Christopher Evans/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

Cruise control can be both a lifesaver and a nightmare for drivers.

Cruise control gives many drivers a sense of security when driving on the road, from utilizing less gas to helping maintain a constant speed. However, when coupled with rain, this can lead to disastrous — and potentially deadly — results.

The most common way to stop cruise control is by pressing your brake, which is the opposite of what you should do when your car begins to skid; instead, you want to slowly ease off the gas pedal to slow your car down rather than flooring the brakes.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, from 2007 to 2016, more than 800,000 car crashes were caused by wet pavements, resulting in more than 300,000 injuries and more than 4,000 deaths in the U.S.

Traffic problems

Photo by Wolfgang Kumm/picture alliance via Getty Images

During a dry period, grease, dirt and other materials collect on the roads. When rain falls on top of that, those materials can create a film on the surface of the street, causing it to become extra slippery. The thin layer of grime above the water's surface reduces the car's traction while driving. 

This can lead to hydroplaning, which means your vehicle spins out of control at high speeds. If this occurs while using cruise control, the use of breaks on your car can lead you to lose control and potentially spin out as both the brakes and tire will fail to gain any traction. 

Limitations of cruise control

Cruise control also limits your ability to make immediate decisions. While maneuvering on highways in normal conditions, lowering speed is a matter of easing off the gas pedal. With cruise control, you are locked in at a constant speed and have less time to reduce your speed.

Photo by Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images

Driving through wet roads at high speeds can cause your car to lose traction and hydroplane as your tires will rotate too fast to grip the roads properly. This is exacerbated by cruise control, which can require you to use your brakes to regain control of the vehicle.

While cruise control may seem like a safe alternative for driving long distances, with heavy rain conditions, cruise control's less-manual approach will prove to be more of a detriment when faced with split-second decisions on slippery roads.

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10 safety tips for driving in the rain.

When it rains, and especially in the first 10 minutes of a storm, roads can become slick due to engine oil and grease buildup that has yet to wash away. That’s when you’re most likely to experience hydroplaning. Losing control of your vehicle at high speeds isn’t fun, but we have some tips to help you avoid the ice-like effects of hydroplaning and how to drive safely in the rain.

What You’ll Find in This Article

The pros at Les Schwab have pulled together tips based on years of driving and safety experience.

What Is Hydroplaning

What to Do If You Hydroplane

Prepare for rainy days, how to avoid hazards while driving in the rain, top 10 tips for safely driving in the rain, what is hydroplaning.

Hydroplaning happens when your tires lose contact with the road and start rolling on top of a thin film of water. It can happen any time a tire’s tread can't channel water away fast enough to maintain proper contact with the road. When tire tread is in good condition, the grooves and sipes help move water away from the tire to keep you in control and possibly avoid hydroplaning.

As tires wear over time, the tread depth decreases and the grooves aren’t as deep. Learn how to check your tire tread . When the tread is diminished enough, less water gets moved by the grooves. This can lead to hydroplaning. It can also happen if you’re driving too fast for the conditions, even if your tires are in good shape.

What It Feels Like

When your vehicle begins to hydroplane, you’ll feel as if your car or truck is floating or veering on its own. This could result in a loss of steering and braking. How much control you have depends on how fast you’re going and which tires are being affected. If your drive-wheels hydroplane, there might be an increase in your speedometer and engine RPMs (revolutions per minute) as your tires begin to spin. This can cause you to lose control. When your non-drive wheels hydroplane, your car could begin to veer sideways into a spin or skid. If all four wheels hydroplane, the car could skid forward in a straight line.

Unlike sliding on snow and ice, the best way to stop hydroplaning is to take your foot off the gas. Do not brake or attempt to steer into or out of a skid or spin. Most of the time, hydroplaning lasts for only a second or two.

If you do hit the brakes out of pure instinct, ease up on the brakes until it’s over. If you drive a manual transmission, you’ll also want to keep the clutch pedal pressed to the floor. Additionally, don’t slam on the brakes or yank the steering wheel. This could cause you to lose further control. It’s best to wait to brake until you're out of the skid.

However, if you must brake to avoid an accident, brake normally. If your vehicle doesn’t have ABS, pump the brakes lightly. To avoid other vehicles or obstacles, you may need to steer. Just be sure to do as little steering as you can until you’ve regained control. It’s very easy to oversteer when hydroplaning.

Before you end up driving on freshly rained-on roads or during a downpour, check your windshield wiper blades and replace them if necessary, and double-check that your headlights are in good working order. Additionally, have your tires, air pressure, and brakes checked at Les Schwab. We’ll let you know if you need new tires , properly inflate the ones you have to help keep you in control, and check your brakes .

According to the Federal Highway Administration, 75% of weather-related auto crashes occur on wet pavement and during rainfall. Additionally, heavy rain reduces visibility. Every year, over half-a-million people are injured in crashes on wet pavement, and nearly as many are hurt in crashes during a rainstorm.

Maintaining your tires and driving with extra care when it rains, and in foggy conditions , can help you get to where you’re going without an incident. We’ve put together some tips to help keep you and your family safe.

Wait for the storm to pass

This can be especially important if your tires need to be replaced or if the tread is low. When tires are worn, the grooves in those tires cannot move water away fast enough to avoid hydroplaning. Even if your tires have plenty of traction left, waiting out the storm helps you avoid driving alongside other drivers with less-than-adequate tires.

Avoid bald tires

Bald tires or tires with little-to-no tread or traction can be especially dangerous on wet roads. A set of all-season tires from Les Schwab can help you maintain contact with the road and control of your vehicle, whether you’re driving on bare pavement, in the rain, or light snow.

Turn on your headlights

This helps you see better and allows other drivers to see you. However, remember to keep your headlights on low to avoid glare in rainstorms, which can cause additional visibility issues.

You’re less likely to hydroplane at or below 35 MPH (miles per hour). If you must travel far below the speed of traffic, stay in the right lane and turn on your hazards. This will help alert other drivers to the danger.

Leave room between vehicles

Similar to driving on snow and ice, it’s important to leave enough space between you and the car ahead of you during a rainstorm. With reduced visibility and braking distance, giving yourself an extra split second to avoid problems could keep you from becoming a statistic.

Don’t use cruise control

Using cruise control in a rain storm can cause your tires to spin faster if you start to hydroplane. Then, your vehicle could fishtail and lose steering control when the tires regain traction.

Don’t drive through water flowing across the road

That water might not look deep, but even as little as 12-inches of moving water can sweep your vehicle off the road or into oncoming traffic. Instead, find an alternative route or wait for the storm to pass, if possible.

Drive carefully

Anytime you’re faced with wet roads or downpours, avoid hard braking, sudden acceleration or sharp turns. This can help minimize the possibility and effects of hydroplaning.

Stay in your lane

Lane changes and passing in rainy conditions can increase your chances of hydroplaning. Why? Because as you move out of the tracks created by the vehicle in front of you, your tires will need to move more water to maintain contact with the road. Also, rain can cause poor visibility and increased stopping distances.

Avoid puddles and standing water

It’s almost impossible to know how deep a puddle or other standing water really is. Even the best tires cannot move water away fast enough to keep you from hydroplaning at high speeds through deep water. Additionally, going through standing water can stall your engine and leave you stranded if enough water gets into the intake or exhaust. If you do make it safely through a large puddle, check that your brakes are working properly by tapping them gently a few times.

Les Schwab Takes Safety Seriously

The right set of tires for your vehicle can help minimize hydroplaning and keep you in control. Stop by your local Les Schwab for more driving advice and free safety checks. We’ll do whatever it takes to help you get the most out of your tires and keep you rolling safely down the road.

Important Notice: The information provided above is of a general nature gathered from a variety of resources deemed reasonably reliable. The operation of your vehicle, or the repair or replacement of your vehicle’s equipment, may be different than for a typical vehicle. Please consult your owner’s manual for specific warnings, notices, and other advice relative to the subjects addressed herein.

Is it safe to use cruise control in the rain?

• Cruise control in the rain

Is it possible for cruise control to cause an accident when the road conditions are slippery? Let's see why 'cruise control' could become 'lose control'

How does cruise control work?

Cruise control works by monitoring your car’s speed and then adjusting the throttle inputs to keep it at the same speed. It’s usually only accurate to within 3-5kph so it’s not a good idea to set it to 107kph because you may exceed the police’s tolerance level. To maintain the set speed, the engine has to fight against wind resistance, inclines, and the rolling resistance of the tires. Therefore when driving, the engine is always working because there’s always something pushing against the car. Unless you are driving on a sufficiently steep downhill gradient, in which case gravity takes over and you will speed up even with no throttle input.

Cruise control features-

On/off – this enables the cruise control to operate, but it doesn’t mean it’s activated Set – this sets the cruise control at the speed the car was doing when you press the button Cancel – this cancels the cruise control and gives you full control of the acceleration Resume – you can resume your speed to the last set speed automatically by pushing this button Increment/decrement – you can add or subtract usually 1, 5 or 10kph to the speed, depending on the system and options. Radar distance – if you have radar cruise control (also called adaptive cruise control) there are usually three distances, approximately 1, 2 and 3 seconds behind the vehicle in front, and the system will attempt to keep you at that distance, matching the speed of the vehicle you are following Some systems also have a speed limiter or a warning if you exceed the local speed limit.

Is cruise control dangerous in the rain?

The answer is both yes and no. No , but only if you have traction control and electronic stability control enabled in your vehicle. Ice, slush and snow is a different matter because you shouldn’t be travelling fast enough to warrant using cruise control and many vehicles don’t let you set cruise control at less than around 30kph. If you do not have traction control or stability control then yes , cruise control is dangerous in heavier rain or where there is standing water. Cruise control systems on older cars (or cheaper new cars) will continue to apply more power if it detects that it needs more power to maintain a particular speed. What makes this dangerous in the wet is aquaplaning (or hydroplaning). Aquaplaning is where your wheels ride up on a cushion of water, essentially sliding over the surface of the water, because the tread in the tires is not deep enough to disperse the water fast enough. Therefore, when you are aquaplaning, you have very little grip and any acceleration applied to the engine may be able to make the tires spin faster more easily. In the case of aquaplaning, the wheels spin which raises the pitch of the engine, making it seem like you are going faster even though you’re not. Since you have lost traction at that point, it’s easy to leave the road and crash. If you do get into a skid, do you know what to do? Advice given in the Road Code for correcting skids is now outdated and dangerous.   Find out why by checking out this .

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Should You Use Cruise Control in the Rain?

Cruise control is a great feature, especially on those long road trips. However, using cruise control on slippery roads is not a good idea. Cruise control operation on rainy days can result in a skid or spin when driving on low-traction surfaces. Keep reading to learn why you should not use cruise control in the rain.

Why shouldn’t you use cruise control in the rain?

Using cruise control when driving in the rain, snow, hail, sleet, ice, and slippery roads can affect the system’s ability to maintain a constant vehicle speed. For example, cruise control set too fast on wet roads could cause the vehicle to hydroplane when it encounters standing water.

Rainwater causes the oil and grease on the streets to rise to the top of the water. This creates a slippery surface that causes your car to hydroplane because the tires cannot tread through the water fast enough.

The scary part is that you do not even have to be driving fast for a car to hydroplane -especially if you have worn out tires . Hydroplaning can occur at speeds as low as 56 mph. Cruise control increases the chance of hydroplaning because the feature maintains a consistent speed.

In most cars, the feature can be disabled by hitting the brakes, but doing this, it can make the skidding worse, especially if you don’t have anti-locking brakes.

What is Aquaplaning?

Aquaplaning is where your wheels ride upon a cushion of water, essentially skating over the water’s surface because the tread in the tires is not sufficiently deep to disperse it fast enough. When you are aquaplaning, you have very little grip, and therefore any acceleration applied to the engine will be able to make the wheels spin faster and more easily.

Cruise control makes hydroplaning worse by trying to keep your vehicle going at a constant speed. You can disable it by applying your brakes, but if you do not have anti-lock brakes, hitting your brakes while hydroplaning will only worsen the skidding.

Is cruise control safe?

Yes. There are instances when using cruise control in the rain is not catastrophic. If you have traction control and electronic stability control enabled in your car, using cruise control is extremely safe.

Cruise control in snow and ice is a different matter because you wouldn’t be traveling fast enough to warrant using cruise control. Many vehicles don’t let you set the cruise control at less than 30kph. If you do not have traction control or stability control, cruise control is dangerous in heavier rain or standing water.

Is it illegal to use cruise control in the rain?

No. but you are legally and financially liable if you cause an accident by using cruise control in the rain . It is not advisable to use cruise control in the rain. The reason is that unsophisticated cruise control systems on older cars or cheaper new cars will continue to apply more power if it detects that it needs more power to maintain a particular speed.

When driving on wet roads, disable your cruise control and lower your speed. If you start to skid or hydroplane, take your foot off the gas, grasp the steering wheel with both hands, and steer toward the direction of the skid. Once you have some control, you can correct your car and get centered back in your lane.

Top tips for driving safely in the rain

Here are some safety tips to help you drive safely in the rain;

Double Check Your Car’s Equipment

Ensure that your car’s equipment is in working order before encountering rainy weather. Check your headlights, taillights, and windshield wipers to make sure that they will work efficiently when they are needed. Also, check the tread of your vehicle’s tires. Balding tires can severely reduce traction on wet roadways. Most states require tires to have a tread depth of at least 2/32″ to stay on the road

Avoid Sudden Movements

When accelerating, turning, braking, or steering in the rain, drive smoothly to retain maximum control. Make gradual speed or steering changes, and start slowing your vehicle by taking your foot off the gas earlier than you normally would before gently squeezing the brake pedal .

Don’t Use Cruise Control

Normally in wet conditions, lifting your foot off the accelerator transfers weight to the front of the car and slows you down enough to allow your vehicle to regain traction. However, the car won’t respond until you press on the brake when cruise control is engaged.

Avoid cruise control when driving in the rain leaves you with more options in a loss-of-traction situation.

Turn On Your Defroster

Avoid windshield fogging that can interfere with your visibility by turning on your front and rear defrosters to clear it up. It will also enable you to see better during foggy days .

You should adhere to the posted speed limit when driving in wet weather conditions, but you should also drive considerably slower than you normally would. Wet roads are very dangerous. In addition, your vehicle’s reaction time is much slower when it is raining. Therefore, reduced speed is imperative in rainy weather.

Turn on Your Headlights

Most states require drivers to turn on their vehicles’ lights while driving in the rain. Even if it is only misting, turning on your vehicle’s headlights will increase your visibility and other drivers’ ability to see your car on the road.

Use Your Windshield Wipers

While this may seem like common sense, some people forget to turn on their windshield wipers in light rain. Most cars’ windshield wiper speed is adjustable to clear moisture from the glass in a light mist or a heavy downpour.

There are also several products available that can be sprayed or wiped onto the glass and claim to defer rainwater collection. Your wipers should be replaced if you can hear a scraping noise or see some streaking from the blades

Maintain a Safe Distance Between Cars

Keep a greater distance between your vehicle and the car in front of you. Stopping your vehicle will be more difficult when driving in the rain. Maintain a distance of several car lengths between your car and other vehicles.

Avoid Heavy Braking

Try to slow your vehicle by taking your foot off the accelerator earlier than you normally would in preparation to slow down or stop. Don’t use cruise control, so your attention on using both the gas and brake are in tune.

Watch Out for Standing Water

Driving through standing water can cause hydroplaning, which is when you lose traction and skid across the road’s surface. To avoid hydroplaning, drive around places where water has collected by changing lanes or safely steering around such areas. Six inches of water can cause loss of control on the road

Let Off the Gas When Hydroplaning

Hydroplaning is one of the most common car accidents in the rain because drivers can lose control. If your car hydroplanes, calmly take your foot off the accelerator and steer. You should steer in the direction that the front of your car wants to go. Avoid making sudden turns or slamming on your brakes.

Ventilate Your Car

Rain causes humidity levels to increase. As a result, you may find that your vehicle’s windows become foggy when you operate it while it is raining. Most cars’ ventilation systems include a function that will reduce this type of fog that develops on the interior of your windows and windshield. It may be necessary to pull over if you can no longer see through your windows.

Lower the temperature inside your car quickly by cracking a window if your vent system doesn’t help. Staying safe while driving in the rain is simple if you make a conscious effort to employ these safety precautions.

Know the Roads

Roads are built to withstand different weather conditions in different parts of the country, so if you’re new to an area, use extra caution during or after a storm. Take a moment to consider your route, too.

If it takes you through low-lying bridge underpasses or past ditches prone to flooding, it might be a good day to take the freeway instead.

Don’t Drive into the water

If water is covering the markings on the road, it’s too deep to drive on. You can lose control with as little as three inches of water on the road. And even if you manage to stay in control, a larger vehicle could push some of that water underneath your car, causing your engine to stall.

Steer Where You Want to Go

If you’re going too fast and end up hydroplaning. Turn the wheel in the direction you want to go. Do not be afraid if you don’t steer out of the skid. It may take three to five adjustments to get back on course.

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Vladimir Putin repeats warning he could send weapons to adversaries of the West

Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Vladimir Putin also says he does not see the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons as set out in Russia's nuclear doctrine - but adds he could not rule out a change to it.

Friday 7 June 2024 17:15, UK

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• Russia economically strong despite 'illegitimate sanctions'
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• Big picture:  Everything you need to know about the war right now
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• Live reporting by Andy Hayes and  Ollie Cooper

Thank you for reading.

We will be back soon with more updates from the war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin has said he does not see the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons as set out in Russia's nuclear doctrine - but added he could not rule out a change to the doctrine.

"We have a nuclear doctrine which states that the use of nuclear arms is possible in an exceptional case, when the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country is threatened," he told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"But the doctrine can be changed.

"The same applies to nuclear tests. We will carry out tests if needed, but so far there is no such need."

Russia could send weapons to adversaries of the West, Vladimir Putin has warned for a second time.

The Russian president repeated the warning from earlier this week during the St Petersburg Economic Forum.

He did not say what countries or entities he was referring to, and he stressed that Moscow is not doing it currently.

"If they supply (weapons) to the combat zone and call for using these weapons against our territory, why don't we have the right to do the same?" he told the crowds. 

"But I'm not ready to say that we will be doing it tomorrow, either."

On Wednesday, Putin told international journalists that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.

He also reaffirmed Moscow's readiness to use nuclear weapons if it sees a threat to its sovereignty.

Joe Biden has apologised to Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the recent delay in approving new US aid for Ukraine.

Last month, following months of political disagreements, the Senate passed $95bn (£76.2bn) in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan .

"I apologise for those weeks of not knowing," the US president said.

"Some of our very conservative members [of Congress] were holding it up. 

"But we got it done, finally. We're still in - completely, totally." 

The Ukrainian president thanked his counterpart for American assistance.  

"It's very important that you stay with us," he said. 

"It's very important that in this unity, the United States of America, all American people stay with Ukraine, like it was during World War Two - how the United States helped to save human lives, to save Europe." 

The two men were speaking in Paris, the day after D-Day commemorations in Normandy.

Russia needs to boost its use of non-Western currencies, Vladimir Putin said as he addressed the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

He also said his country needs to reduce imports while calling for a major expansion of its domestic financial markets.

Trade with Asia is soaring, he told delegates, adding that almost two fifths of Russian external trade is now in roubles.

The share conducted in US dollars, euros and other Western currencies has declined.

Russia will try to boost the share of settlements conducted in the currencies of BRICS countries - which include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Mr Putin said.

"Last year, the share of payments for Russian exports in the so–called 'toxic' currencies of unfriendly states halved, while the share of the rouble in export and import transactions is growing - it is approaching 40% today," the president said.

Russia has referred to nations that imposed sanctions on it as "unfriendly".

 The session begins with an address by the Russian president. 

Vladimir Putin says there is a race among world powers to establish sovereignty. 

He speaks of the need for countries to both establish partnerships and also to look internally to tackle challenges presented by the current global economic landscape. 

Despite all the "obstacles and illegitimate sanctions", Russia remains one of the world's economic leaders, he says. 

He adds that "friendly countries" - those that have not joined sanctions against Moscow - account for three quarters of Russia's mutual trade turnover, and praises them for that. 

Countries including India and China have strengthened economic ties since Mr Putin launched his war in Ukraine. 

Vladimir Putin has taken to the stage in St Petersburg to address the International Economic Forum there.

He's joined by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwais and Bolivian President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora. 

Chairing the session is Sergey Karaganov - a Russian political scientist. 

We'll bring you any key lines here in this live blog. 

A T-shirt is on sale at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum printed with a phrase attributed to Vladimir Putin, Sky News has discovered. 

"If a fight is inevitable, throw the first punch," it says.

The Russian president reportedly said it in 2015.

He apparently explained that it was something he had learned while growing up on the streets of Leningrad - a former name of St Petersburg. 

The Russian defence ministry has accused Ukraine of injuring 20 people, including children, in a missile attack on the Russian-controlled eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk, using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.

Four of five missiles were shot down by air defence systems, the ministry said in a statement.

However, one of the missiles damaged two residential apartment blocks, it added, claiming it was deliberate.

Sky News is unable to verify the allegations.

There has been no immediate comment from Ukraine. 

The European Commission supports starting EU accession talks with Ukraine, the country's prime minister has said.

Denys Shmyhal said the commission had confirmed in a report that Kyiv had fulfilled the remaining steps required to start negotiations. 

"Now we expect our European partners to take the next step - to start negotiations on European Union membership this month," Mr Shmyhal said on Telegram. 

Earlier (7.43am post) we reported that the commission was reportedly ready to recommend that accession talks get underway.

It is part of an attempt to signal support for Kyiv before Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the EU next month, the Financial Times reported.

The EU announced earlier this year that it was sending an additional £42bn in aid to Ukraine - but only after  weeks of resistance from Hungary , which reportedly has concerns about minority rights in Ukraine. 

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