AMES – The Department of Transportation has a warning out for all drivers heading into the icy snow storm we’re about to get hit with on Tuesday: don’t drive on ice with cruise control.
The DOT posted a video from 2016 on its Twitter page Monday afternoon, showing a car slamming into a guard rail near Ames after it hit an ice patch while using cruise control. Luckily, the driver was ok.
For some, driving with cruise control has become almost second nature. If cruise control has become a staple of your driving habits, make a conscious effort to ensure that you are not using it in winter weather.
Using cruise control in the snow, ice or even rain is dangerous because if your car hydroplanes or skids, it will accelerate and rapidly spin the wheels since it will be trying to maintain a constant speed. If this happens, it will be more likely that you lose control of your vehicle.
