Cruise Control

Busman747 · 31-08-2005, 23:22

Willow and I were travelling back from Morcambe last week. It was late evening with very little traffic so I set the Cruise Control to 75 mph in my Vectra and had a relaxing drive back to Accy. or so I thought!

I asked Willow what she would do to control the car should I be taken suddenly seriously ill while the Cruise Control is activated! (For those non-drivers, C.Con. is the ability to set the speed of the car so the foot can be taken off the accelerator without loss of speed)

She was aware that a touch on the foot brake would cancel it out and in fact also the clutch pedal) but because of the centre console, the pedals are well out of reach! She could reach round and turn off the ignition - but would lose power steering and in all probability would engage the steering lock as she would need to reach round the steering column! It looked like her only option would be to steer the car at 75 mph until she ran out of petrol!

I was seriously worried about this so delved into the hand-book on my arrival back at Accy - - and discovered a switch to disengage the C.Con!

It is NOT the rocker switch with the two circular markers, it is the thin unmarked plastic strip to the left which I thought was just the casing. This is the ONLY way for a passenger to turn off the Cruise Control, should the worst ever happen, I hope Willow remembers

SPUGGIE J · 01-09-2005, 00:17

That is suposed to be a drver aid! Crikey it sounds more like a widow maker

Tinkerbelle · 01-09-2005, 00:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPUGGIE J

That is suposed to be a drver aid! Crikey it sounds more like a widow maker

A womans invention

harwood red · 01-09-2005, 00:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinkerbelle

A womans invention

cheers, yeah I thought I did a good job of that one

SPUGGIE J · 01-09-2005, 00:22

Just rember to use a postit note a womens best friend........well second best friend

Busman747 · 01-09-2005, 01:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinkerbelle

A womans invention

Hate to say it - - but it is highly unlikely that General Motors would have employed a woman in the design of a car (unless it is the colour! )

Sorry about the dig ladies, but this is a serious issue as it involves safety which is supposed to be paramount on modern cars. I would like to bet that most if not all accyweb members, put into the scenario where the driver had a heart attack, would NOT be able to find that switch!

Just imagine being in the front passenger seat, moving at 75 mph, driver dead or unconscious and you steering the car (which is not slowing down) by reaching over!

Tinkerbelle · 01-09-2005, 01:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busman747

Hate to say it - - but it is highly unlikely that General Motors would have employed a woman in the design of a car (unless it is the colour! )

Cheeky sod!! Who do you think invented mirrors

I gotta have some where to to see my hair and apply my lippy

fireman · 01-09-2005, 11:19

I hate to say it too but I am totally amazed that a so called responsible person like yourself would use an instrument like this to exceed the speed limit all the way back from Morcambe whist admitting to not fully knowing how to use this sort of technology. I don,t know what you were thinking about. Oh and on the side of the fairer sex most would have referred to the manual before taking to the road and risking everyones life. Maybe you should have done the same.

cashman · 01-09-2005, 11:23

naughty busman SPEEDING lol

Ber999T · 02-09-2005, 14:14

just a quick suggestion how about putting car into netural and letting it coast to a stop and when slow enough pull hand brake on slowly till car fully stopped while trying to keep it in a straight line.

why set to C.Con to be above speed limit busman surely 70 mph is fast enough???

entwisi · 02-09-2005, 14:22

You will find that 75mph indicated on a car speedo is an actual 70 or sometimes less. My GPS shows my cars speedo at 76 for an actual 70, 84 = actual 77 (speed limit +10% which is the actual speed coppers will start to look at issueing a ticket)

Some cars are even further out.

So sitting at an indicated 75 busman will probably not have been speeding.

chav1 · 02-09-2005, 14:29

no need to worry bussman a woman wil eventualy hit every single button there is to be hit in a car just worry when they start making their own buttons like eject or somthing

SPUGGIE J · 02-09-2005, 15:51

Chav if a women in a car was to hit every button she found it could be that the ejector seat is an easier and safer option. Besides if a women was to have accesories in the car it would start with a makeup desk with matching mirror and hair driers. (sorry ladies a bit low but close to the truth)

harwood red · 02-09-2005, 16:01

oooo spug that was low, train tickets cancelled now!!!!!! ha ha

SPUGGIE J · 02-09-2005, 16:19

The first thing my sister does is push click flick all the switches and then worries if here face is on by checking in the rear view mirror.