Dear Tom and Ray:

My question is about speed control. I use mine for just that, to avoid getting speeding tickets. I use my speed control in speed-limited areas, like when I have to drive 25 or 35 mph. Will my cruise-control switch wear out? Should I just use it on the highway? Or is it OK to use the cruise control all the time, even around town like I have been? -- George

Tom: You will wear out the switch eventually, George, but that's not what worries me.

Ray: The real problem with using cruise control in a 25 mph zone is that it's dangerous. When the speed limit is 25, it's 25 for a reason: Unpredictable events may require you to stop all of a sudden.

Tom: It may be a densely populated street where little kids play, or a school zone. And they're telling you to drive 25 mph so you CAN stop suddenly if you need to.

Ray: Normally, when you're driving in an unpredictable place, here's what happens. You have your foot on the gas as long as you can see that everything is clear ahead. If you're not sure what's coming up, your foot then comes off the gas, and you coast and slow down until you figure what's going on. If you see something that looks dangerous, your foot -- which is already off the gas -- moves onto the brake.

Tom: By setting the cruise control and relaxing, you eliminate that middle step where your foot is off the gas, and the car is slowing down while you figure out what's going on. And that makes it harder to stop in time when a kid darts out after a ball ... or my brother darts out after the frosted donut he dropped.

Ray: So I'd save cruise control for the highway. And if you want help slowing down in those 25 and 30 mph zones, try putting the transmission in a lower gear. Putting it in D2 (or second gear) will moderate your speed AND slow the car down faster when you take your foot off the gas. Try it.

It's amazing how many bad driving habits and wacko theories have been passed down from generation to generation! Tom and Ray set the record straight in their booklet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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