Cruise Control Failures in the UAE and How to Deal With Them

Last week, a Dubai driver’s cruise control got stuck at 120km/h while he was driving towards Sharjah. Unsure of what to do, he called the police for help.

Patrols cleared the road ahead of him while a police car pulled up in front of him and slowed down. This caused the car to bump into the police vehicle several times, which made it slow down until it completely stopped.

It’s an odd occurrence considering that cruise control systems are designed to turn off if the driver hits the brakes, puts the car in neutral transmission or press the off button.

If you’re ever in a similar position as that driver, it’s important to try and keep calm. Phil Clarke, a consultant at the Transport Research Laboratory UAE, suggests to switch into the emptiest lane if possible and shift the gear lever to neutral and use the brakes to slow down the car.

It’s normal to panic in such situation, so knowing what to do in advance can help you avoid irrational thinking. Drivers are cautioned against pulling the handbrake suddenly with force as this could result in the car skidding. Therefore, it should be done gradually.

Even with the cruise control system stuck, braking may still help slow down the car. And that could help you regain control since cruise control systems are usually set to turn off at low speeds.

While turning off the engine is a possible method to disabling the cruise control, it's not advised since it can be very dangerous. If you were to do it, your power steering and power-assisted braking would no longer work.

It is strongly advised to never turn on cruise control on a rainy day. Drivers should always be alert and have regular car maintenance checks. Always call 999 for help if you find yourself in such a dangerous situation. 

Other incidents

Unfortunately, cruise control failure isn't a rare thing in the UAE. ere are some of the ones reported...

March 11, 2014 – Dubai Police helped a man with malfunctioning cruise control while driving at 140km/h on Emirates Road.

July 25, 2013 – A man was saved by the Traffic Police after the cruise control got stuck at 139km/h on Maliha Road.

July 12, 2013 – The cruise control of a woman driving down Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road failed but she was saved the Traffic Police.

SEE ALSO: New radars to catch lane violators in Dubai

February, 2013 – A woman driving at a speed of 138km/h on Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road lost control of her car when her cruise control failed. She decided to bump into the other cars to cause the vehicle to slow down, which saved the lives of her three daughters, her sister and her housemaid.

August 30, 2012 – A man stuck at 120km/h on Emirates Road was rescued by the Rescue division of the Ras Al Khaiman Traffic and Patrol Department.

February 25, 2012 – A man couldn’t turn off his cruise control system at 160km/h on Abu Dhabi-Al Ain highway but was rescued by the police.