Can you use active cruise control on A roads?
Discussion
This may be a stupid question, but I've always thought that active cruise control (where if you're set at 70mph and come up behind a car doing 68mph it slows to match speed) is really for motorways. But can you use it on a normal A road?
In other words, could you give the car a quick burst to 70mph, hit active cruise, and as you reach the back of the car in front it would adjust to that car's speed (as is lower than set) and then simply follow it, letting the car in front effectively do all the driving bar steering because your car would be speeding up and slowing down as his/hers did?
It's just an idle muse, I've never driven a car with it.
In other words, could you give the car a quick burst to 70mph, hit active cruise, and as you reach the back of the car in front it would adjust to that car's speed (as is lower than set) and then simply follow it, letting the car in front effectively do all the driving bar steering because your car would be speeding up and slowing down as his/hers did?
It's just an idle muse, I've never driven a car with it.
Ari said:
This may be a stupid question, but I've always thought that active cruise control (where if you're set at 70mph and come up behind a car doing 68mph it slows to match speed) is really for motorways. But can you use it on a normal A road?
In other words, could you give the car a quick burst to 70mph, hit active cruise, and as you reach the back of the car in front it would adjust to that car's speed (as is lower than set) and then simply follow it, letting the car in front effectively do all the driving bar steering because your car would be speeding up and slowing down as his/hers did?
It's just an idle muse, I've never driven a car with it.
Yes I used it extensively on holiday in France on August. On motorways and A roads. In other words, could you give the car a quick burst to 70mph, hit active cruise, and as you reach the back of the car in front it would adjust to that car's speed (as is lower than set) and then simply follow it, letting the car in front effectively do all the driving bar steering because your car would be speeding up and slowing down as his/hers did?
It's just an idle muse, I've never driven a car with it.
I actually find it more useful on A roads. My ACC leaves a huge gap in front and when on a motorway I often find people behind me getting pissed off because I'm not 'getting a move on' and end up going around me, filling the gap in front of me and forcing the ACC to reduce speed to maintain the gap. Less of a problem on an A road as people behind are less inclined to overtake and speed is also more variable than a motorway so makes for more relaxing progress. I've even used it on B roads occasionally.
Yes, have used it daily on such roads since my 2014 VW Golf.
It seems to work better when in a constant flow of traffic, speeding up and slowing down as per the car in front. It doesn't like spotting stationary objects when going at high speed, so I usually intervene then. Likewise cars turning off, just give it some gas to go past.
It seems to work better when in a constant flow of traffic, speeding up and slowing down as per the car in front. It doesn't like spotting stationary objects when going at high speed, so I usually intervene then. Likewise cars turning off, just give it some gas to go past.
Edited by phil4 on Tuesday 19th November 14:33
Osinjak said:
I actually find it more useful on A roads. My ACC leaves a huge gap in front and when on a motorway I often find people behind me getting pissed off because I'm not 'getting a move on' and end up going around me, filling the gap in front of me and forcing the ACC to reduce speed to maintain the gap. Less of a problem on an A road as people behind are less inclined to overtake and speed is also more variable than a motorway so makes for more relaxing progress. I've even used it on B roads occasionally.
Change the gap distance setting assuming you can on your particular car Dave Hedgehog said:
That's interesting but I'm guessing the systems fitted to a Tesla are far more sophisticated than on (for example) a VW Golf. Together with a decent sound system, a good automatic gearbox & air conditioning, cruise control, active or otherwise, is vital to relaxing comfortable driving.
Over the years I've encountered many that are vocal in their denigration of such things & upon close questioning they have never experienced them. This is either because there employer has always lumbered them with the basic bog standard company issued car, or in the case of some males the they think it's terribly macho & manly to fiddle around with a gear knob, be overheated & enjoy leg & back ache on long motorway journeys.
Over the years I've encountered many that are vocal in their denigration of such things & upon close questioning they have never experienced them. This is either because there employer has always lumbered them with the basic bog standard company issued car, or in the case of some males the they think it's terribly macho & manly to fiddle around with a gear knob, be overheated & enjoy leg & back ache on long motorway journeys.
Yep, and teamed with an auto transmission a lot of the modern ones will work right down to a complete stop. Absolutely brilliant for stop-start queuing traffic.
Mine does quite a lot of the steering for you too - I’d be reluctant to have a daily driver without ACC and steering support nowadays for daily grind driving in the south east. My missus loves it too.
Mine does quite a lot of the steering for you too - I’d be reluctant to have a daily driver without ACC and steering support nowadays for daily grind driving in the south east. My missus loves it too.
foggy said:
Yep, and teamed with an auto transmission a lot of the modern ones will work right down to a complete stop. Absolutely brilliant for stop-start queuing traffic.
I find the VAG one great for that on the M25. It occasionally gets a bit jerky if the person in front is someone who creeps forwards 6" at a time or rolls back and forth on the clutch. I don't have it on my car but it is a feature I'll look for if/when I replace it.
I don't particularly care for it on the motorway, unless traffic is really busy and it's stop/start - really helpful then. I mostly use mine on A roads where the limit keeps going 30/40/50 and back again and just use the adjustment to move my max speed up or down depending on need. It's definitely not a "once and done" system though, or something that means you can just switch off to whats going on around you.
Of course, those who tell you it's rubbish have either never tried it (using how it's intended) or are too stupid to understand it.
Of course, those who tell you it's rubbish have either never tried it (using how it's intended) or are too stupid to understand it.
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