A 4WD skidded on ice in central Dunedin this morning and crashed into a wall - just after the driver turned on traction control.
The driver, who did not want to be named, said he was travelling "gingerly'' down High St, on his way to work, when he decided to switch on a traction control setting on his Hyundai SUV.
For the first time since owning the SUV, he pushed a button which "applies the brakes automatically'' when driving in slippery conditions.
But when the brakes were applied, the SUV began to skid.
He didn't want to hit the car travelling about 10m in front of him so he steered the SUV towards the footpath.
The SUV continued to skid and mounted the footpath, hitting a wall on the cnr of Grant and High Sts.
The front of the SUV was damaged.
The back of the SUV was loaded with several bags of fuel for a pellet fire.
"I thought the extra weight would have given me some traction but oh well, you live and learn."
Hyundai spokesman David Savage said if traction control was needed, it usually switched on automatically in the SUV on starting.
The driver might have switched the traction control off, rather than on, before the crash, he said.
If the driver contacted Hyundai, they would happily check the SUV for any fault with the safety features, he said.
