Table Of Content

It’s an electrical system that allows you to set your car to a specific speed and take your foot off the accelerator. Adaptive cruise control is a more advanced technology that enables you to set a specific speed while the system automatically reads the traffic ahead and keeps your car at a safe following distance. Today, drivers can choose from a range of cruise control systems, each with its own unique features and functionalities. However, it’s a tool designed to make the driver’s task easier and less stressful. On the other hand, neither conventional nor adaptive cruise control relieves the driver of the ultimate responsibility of safely driving the car. When used appropriately, conventional and adaptive cruise control are safe.
Browse Best Cars
Your modern cruise control system relies on various sensors and switches to do its job properly. As a failsafe, any problem with these sensors can cause the cruise control system to go offline. If you notice this happening regularly, have your vehicle diagnosed by a professional.
Open loop (feedforward) control system

Cruise control (also known as speed control, cruise command, autocruise, or tempomat) is a system that automatically controls the speed of an automobile. The system is a servomechanism that takes over the car's throttle to maintain a steady speed set by the driver. Two companies are developing a more advanced cruise control that can automatically adjust a car's speed to maintain a safe following distance. This new technology, called adaptive cruise control, uses forward-looking radar, installed behind the grill of a vehicle, to detect the speed and distance of the vehicle ahead of it. In a proportional control system, the cruise control adjusts the throttle proportional to the error, the error being the difference between the desired speed and the actual speed.
Is cruise control bad for your card?
The driver is adjusting the engine torque (input) by pressing the accelerator pedal. On the latest vehicles fitted with electronic throttle control, cruise control can be integrated into the vehicle's engine management system. Modern "adaptive" systems include the ability to automatically reduce speed when the distance to a car in front, or the speed limit, decreases. Cruise control is a feature on some vehicles that allows the driver to take their foot off the accelerator while the onboard computer maintains the vehicle’s speed. Within cruise control, you can typically also adjust your speed up and down using buttons.
Putting Cruise Control on Your Street Rod is Simple: It's the Cruise - MotorTrend
Putting Cruise Control on Your Street Rod is Simple: It's the Cruise.
Posted: Fri, 29 Sep 2023 23:02:43 GMT [source]
Types of Cruise Control Systems
Life Lanes helps you do just that, from owning a car and home to other life moments and adventures. The value of the feedforward force is interpolated between 0 and 10 °. If the cruise control in your vehicle suddenly kicks off, a few things may be to blame. Our suite of security features can help you protect your info, money and give you peace of mind.
It can be especially helpful in today’s driving climate as average-speed cameras are becoming increasingly common. If you want to return to your previously programmed speed, just press ‘resume’. The 2024 Hyundai Elantra and 2024 Toyota Corolla are old rivals in affordable compact cars. While wheel alignment and balance both contribute to a smoother ride, the services are quite different. A wheel alignment makes sure your tires contact the road in the correct way... Have you ever been confused as to the sounds coming from your vehicle when you brake?
Weather-aware fuzzy adaptive cruise control: Dynamic reference signal design - ScienceDirect.com
Weather-aware fuzzy adaptive cruise control: Dynamic reference signal design.
Posted: Wed, 09 Aug 2023 01:48:29 GMT [source]
Justin has written one of the largest collections of used car buyer guides on the internet, and his TV program, AutoPilot, has aired over 600 episodes across 16 seasons. With 4 years as co-chair of the Canadian Car of the Year Awards (CCOTY) program, a passion for vehicle testing shines though in all of his work. With Super Cruise, the vehicle uses special GPS hardware and sensors to accurately compare its position to a 3D map of pre-qualified highways. Super Cruise is a next-level driver assistance feature available on certain GM vehicles. Before you buy, be sure to determine which type of cruise control system is fitted to the car you’re considering. Driving while fatigued is never a good idea, but even less so while using cruise control.
Modern-day cruise control was invented in 1948 by blind American mechanical engineer Ralph Teetor, although speed control has its roots in the 18th century when it was used to regulate steam engines. Cruise control is one feature you’ll want from a good car for road trips and other frequent highway driving. It can not only potentially help you get better gas mileage but also make driving much more comfortable. When traffic slows down or comes to a stop, the Stop-and-Go Cruise Control system automatically applies the brakes to bring the car to a complete stop.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
This happens because the additional opposing force, due to road gradient, becomes null and the engine torque is enough to accelerate back the vehicle. The car also sports another set of eyes in the form of a standard camera that points through the windscreen. This also looks out for nearby hazards, such as pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists, whilst also reading road signs and detecting traffic lights. The bumper-mounted radar, which is already used in autonomous cruise control, looks out for vehicles in front of and behind the car.
At its core, cruise control involves a series of sensors that monitor the vehicle's speed and a control unit that regulates the throttle. When the driver sets the cruise control to a specific speed, the system adjusts the throttle to maintain that speed. If the car begins to slow down because of an incline (e.g. going up a hill), the system will open the throttle to accelerate. Conversely, if the car starts to speed up due to a declin (e.g. going downhill), the system will close the throttle to decelerate.
As you can see, cruise control is a great way to relieve much of the stress that comes with everyday driving. The constant rate of speed can also drastically improve fuel efficiency for longer drivers. Cruise control has had a positive impact on the driving industry for 70 years and shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon.
The cruise control system controls the speed of the car by adjusting the throttle position, so it needs sensors to tell it the speed and throttle position. It also needs to monitor the controls so it can tell what the desired speed is and when to disengage. In older cars, having your cruise control engaged on a wet or icy road could allow the vehicle to accelerate or experience wheelspin when driven wheels encounter a low-traction surface. Here, the cruise control system maintains throttle pressure, even in situations where it should be released instead. It can also help you do your part to maintain the steady and efficient flow of traffic.
This means that the vehicle speed is no longer controlled by the driver, through the accelerator pedal position, but by the engine control module. The cruise control function keeps a predefined vehicle speed (set by the driver) regardless of the road conditions, by adjusting the engine torque. Due to the fact that the input (engine toque) wasn’t adjusted function of the vehicle speed or road gradient, the system’s response was affected.
Cruise control is best suited for long drives on large, straight roads such as an interstate highway with cars traveling at a relatively constant speed. It’s inappropriate in stop-and-go traffic; when weather conditions are snowy, icy, or even heavy rain; on narrow, curvy roads; or with frequent speed limit variations. The time and attention it takes to disengage the cruise control in these situations could lead to a crash.
[8] “Everything You Need to Know about Cruise Control,” Dave Johnston, mycarmakesnoise.com/electronics/cruise-control-guide (accessed July 11, 2023). ” mapfreinsurance.com/blog/how-does-cruise-control-in-cars-work (accessed July 11, 2023). Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion.