How to have good vision in a downpour, & no cruise control in rain
05-14-2010, 11:18 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 844
A friend emailed this to me. I thought I'd pass it on. I already knew about the second on (cruise control), but I can't wait to try the first one.
GOOD VISION IN A DOWNPOUR
> >
> > 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! 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 "kick-up" 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.
> >
> > DON'T USE CRUISE CONTROL IN RAIN
This next warning is a good one! I wonder how many people know about this~
> >
> > A 36 year old female had an accident and totaled her car. A resident of Kilgore , Texas she was traveling 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 k now - 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, 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.
GOOD VISION IN A DOWNPOUR
> >
> > 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! 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 "kick-up" 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.
> >
> > DON'T USE CRUISE CONTROL IN RAIN
This next warning is a good one! I wonder how many people know about this~
> >
> > A 36 year old female had an accident and totaled her car. A resident of Kilgore , Texas she was traveling 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 k now - 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, 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.
05-14-2010, 12:13 PM
#2
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Jordan, Minnesota
Posts: 126
Snopes is still undetermined about the sunglasses idea, but it's worth a try - maybe not at night - but who knows unless you give it a try!
But I know for a fact about not using cruise control on very wet roads - key words - very wet - standing water on pavement very wet roads - and of course definitely NOT on icy roads!
But I know for a fact about not using cruise control on very wet roads - key words - very wet - standing water on pavement very wet roads - and of course definitely NOT on icy roads!
05-14-2010, 12:26 PM
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lost in a quilt shop :-)
Posts: 1,342
The sunglasses help take the glare from the headlights as it hits the raindrops as it reflects thru the water.
Same kind of concept with fog. You'd think high beams to illuminate the denseness. Does the opposite. You are blinded by bright white as the light reflects back. Use low beams only. (However, when I've been on roads that I know like the back of my hand that are less traveled, I use my parking lights. I can drive straight thru like butter.)
Same kind of concept with fog. You'd think high beams to illuminate the denseness. Does the opposite. You are blinded by bright white as the light reflects back. Use low beams only. (However, when I've been on roads that I know like the back of my hand that are less traveled, I use my parking lights. I can drive straight thru like butter.)
05-14-2010, 02:56 PM
#6
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Montreal
Posts: 1,962
Originally Posted by BellaBoo
RainX on the windshield and you don't have to turn on the wipers. You never know your wipers aren't working until you need them. RainX will get you through a rain storm without having to use the wipers.
We have Aquapel here, but same idea, only the Aquapel treatment is done at the garage. I have bought wiper blades before with rain-x sheets in the packaging, doesn't work as well as the Aquapel treatment, which lasts months and months, but still very good. I did my last Aquapel treatment on my windshield last fall, and I still don't use my wipers, the water just beads and flies off in the wind.
05-14-2010, 06:39 PM
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Southeast Ohio
Posts: 2,584
Can you buy Aquapel and where????????????/
Yep.
We have Aquapel here, but same idea, only the Aquapel treatment is done at the garage. I have bought wiper blades before with rain-x sheets in the packaging, doesn't work as well as the Aquapel treatment, which lasts months and months, but still very good. I did my last Aquapel treatment on my windshield last fall, and I still don't use my wipers, the water just beads and flies off in the wind.
Originally Posted by Baren*eh*ked_canadian
Originally Posted by BellaBoo
RainX on the windshield and you don't have to turn on the wipers. You never know your wipers aren't working until you need them. RainX will get you through a rain storm without having to use the wipers.
We have Aquapel here, but same idea, only the Aquapel treatment is done at the garage. I have bought wiper blades before with rain-x sheets in the packaging, doesn't work as well as the Aquapel treatment, which lasts months and months, but still very good. I did my last Aquapel treatment on my windshield last fall, and I still don't use my wipers, the water just beads and flies off in the wind.
05-15-2010, 01:32 AM
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 5,142
I use RainX windshield wiper solution and seldom have to use the wipers--at least on the open road. It's the formula that's bright orange.
My brilliant SIL was using cruise control in the winter (snowy conditions) and "forgot" that she had it on when she took an exit ramp off the highway. Didn't remember it until the car was flying through the air. Fortunately both she and her young daughter survived but the car was totalled. DH was furious with her---first because her daughter was injured by her stupidity and secondly because he'd just given her the car a week before.
Sister has a friend that's 80. They took a short trip a couple of months ago and the friend drove. Sis said that they were all over the road. Friend would start looking at something and almost run off the road. When my sister said something to her she answered, "Don't worry, the cruise control is on."
My brilliant SIL was using cruise control in the winter (snowy conditions) and "forgot" that she had it on when she took an exit ramp off the highway. Didn't remember it until the car was flying through the air. Fortunately both she and her young daughter survived but the car was totalled. DH was furious with her---first because her daughter was injured by her stupidity and secondly because he'd just given her the car a week before.
Sister has a friend that's 80. They took a short trip a couple of months ago and the friend drove. Sis said that they were all over the road. Friend would start looking at something and almost run off the road. When my sister said something to her she answered, "Don't worry, the cruise control is on."
05-15-2010, 02:03 AM
#10
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 10,357
Never have used my cruise control....can't stand not being in control I guess. Don't know about the sunglasses idea, but years ago (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), my driving instructor said, focus on the curb, during heavy weather or in darkness, rather than straight on, that way you are not dazzled by headlights, if you have decent peripheral vision, works a treat. Oh, we drive on the opposite side to you, so switching focus would be the way to go maybe.
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