Is cruise control dangerous in the rain?

There is a widespread myth among drivers that cruise control is dangerous in rainy weather or on an icy surface. According to "competent" drivers, using this system on a wet road leads to aquaplaning, sudden acceleration and loss of control over the car. But is it really so?

Robert Beaver, chief engineer at Continental Automotive North America, explains what those who don't like cruise control are doing wrong. It should be noted, however, that Continental is developing such and other support systems for a number of major car manufacturers.

First of all, Beaver clarifies that the car is only in danger of hydroplaning if there is a serious accumulation of water on the road due to heavy rain. Tire treads need to evacuate water - hydroplaning occurs when the tires cannot do this, the car loses contact with the road and becomes uncontrollable.

However, according to Beaver, it is during this short period of thrust loss that one or more stabilization and safety systems are triggered. Disable cruise control. In addition, the car starts to lose speed. Some vehicles, such as the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE, will automatically deactivate cruise control when the wipers start to operate.

And it's not just the cars of the last five years - the system is not new at all. This feature has become ubiquitous with the proliferation of assistive systems. Even cars from the 80s of the last century automatically turn off cruise control when you lightly press the brake pedal.

However, Beaver notes that using cruise control in the rain can interfere with comfortable driving - the driver will have to pay more attention to road conditions. This is not about adaptive cruise control, which itself determines the speed and reduces it if necessary, but about the “most common” one, which simply maintains the set speed without “doing” anything else. According to the expert, the problem is not the cruise control itself, but the driver's decision to use it in inappropriate conditions.