While cruise control can be a handy driving feature, avoiding it is your safest bet this winter, especially after Winter Storm Blair dumped more than 12 inches of snow on some Ohio cities.
A standard feature on most modern cars, cruise control in winter weather conditions can make you—and your car—lose control.
Here’s why officials say using cruise control in winter weather can cause more harm than good.
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Myth: ‘Cruise control can be used in all weather conditions’
Contrary to popular belief, cruise control should not be used in all types of weather.
The Ohio Department of Transportation warns against motorists engaging the cruise control feature on slippery roads because it decreases your risk of maintaining full control of your vehicle. “When driving on ice and snow, do not use cruise control and avoid abrupt steering maneuvers,” ODOT states in its winter safety tips. “Sudden movements can cause your vehicle to slide.”
In 2022, there were nearly 500 fatal traffic crashes nationwide and more than 32,000 injury crashes when there were snow/sleet conditions at the time of the crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As winter storms hit Ohio, freezing rain, snow and black ice (which sometimes appear invisible) can make roads slick, especially on bridges and overpasses.
Why is cruise control unsafe during winter?
While cruise control can help you maintain a steady speed under normal conditions, rain, snow, hail, sleet and ice can create slippery roads that can disrupt your car’s ability to maintain its speed, according to AAA. The organization adds that it increases the risk of hydroplaning, skidding, or spinning, especially on slippery roads.
Instead, ODOT recommends slowing down when ice and snow are present, increasing the space between your car and the vehicle in front of you, and gradually accelerating and stopping your car rather than braking abruptly.
What to do if you encounter black ice
The Weather Channel says that if you happen to drive on a slippery road with black ice, you should remain calm, take your foot off the gas in order to slow down, and to either keep your wheel straight or “if you feel the ice is pulling your back wheels to the right or left, gently turn the wheel in that direction.”
If you can’t control your car and it looks like you’re going to spin off the road, the Weather Channel recommends aiming for an area that causes the least amount of damage, such as a snow bank or a shallow ditch.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why Ohio drivers should never use cruise control during winter weather