I always go to the drops when I'm riding in any tricky situation- a steep downhill with a stop at the bottom, a really fast long descent, blind curves on narrow roads, or maybe a place where it might be likely for deer or woodchucks to dart out in front of me. I can grab the brakes more securely straight-on from the drops than angled from the hoods. Plus, like others have said, my steering is more stable in the drops at high speed (30-40mph).