Many new cars come fitted with cruise control.
They can be very useful at times but misuse can cause dangerous situations which can lead to a crash.
Cruise controls fitted to the average family car only use engine power for control, the brakes are not used.
So don't expect the cruise control to effectively retard the car on a downslope - if the slope is steep enough the car's speed will increase.
BE CAREFUL!
There are certain situations where the cruise control should NOT be used:
- When driving among other vehicles, especially in suburbs, towns & cities.
The danger here is that you become complacent.
You may be tempted to tuck your right foot away to give it a rest. When suddenly confronted with a problem you have to react FAST or else!
If you MUST use cruise control in these conditions - and you SHOULDNT - rest your right foot lightly on the accelerator pedal. If you need to brake suddenly or accelerate, you response will be more natural and faster.
Another problem - let's say you cancel control with the brake pedal as you turn a corner, then drive into a new road. Pressing "resume" could suddenly accelerate you into the back of another car, or you could exceed the speed limit if the new road's limit is lower.
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Driving on hilly roads & winding roads.
In most vehicles, cruise control only controls engine power - brakes are not used. The car could over speed on a downhill slope. Also the cruise control could "hunt" (speed varies as it tries to settle) - irritating and not good for fuel economy.
On winding roads where view of oncoming traffic is limited and you are constantly varying power for best balance, you are much safer if you directly control the car yourself.
- Windy conditions, wet roads, slippery road surfaces.
These are the conditions where you most strongly are advised to NOT use cruise control!
As well as problems outlined above, a wheel suddenly spinning or slowing down during a slip or a skid could fool the cruise control to make unexpected power changes - often with full loss of control and disastrous consequences!
TYPICAL CONTROL FUNCTIONS
Let's look at the typical cruise control installation such as might be provided in your family car. The control switches could be buttons on the steering wheel or on the dashboard - or a lever alongside the steering wheel (similar to the indicators stalk, but shorter).
Some of the switches have a dual function depending on whether cruise control is "set" or "not set".
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NOT SET (not controlling speed)
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Control switch
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What it does
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"CRUISE"
light
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"SET"
light
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| ON / OFF |
"ON" - switches cruise control ON.
Note: this does NOT set speed control to the current speed.
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| SET / COAST |
"SET" - sets speed control to the vehicle's current speed*.
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| RESUME / ACCEL |
"RESUME" - resets speed control to the most recent setting.
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| CANCEL |
(Has no effect, as the speed control is not set).
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SET (controlling speed)
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Control switch
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What it does
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"CRUISE"
light
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"SET"
light
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| ON / OFF |
"OFF" - switches cruise control OFF.
Note: this does NOT set speed control to the current speed.
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| SET / COAST |
"COAST" - releases accelerator to allow car to slow, resets control to the new speed* when released.
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| RESUME / ACCEL |
"ACCEL" - increases speed, then sets control to the new speed* when released.
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| CANCEL |
CANCELS the current setting, speed control is NO LONGER SET.
Note: pressing or tapping the brake pedal will also cancel speed control.
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* There is NO speed control if the car speed is less than 40km/h.
* Speed control is also CANCELLED if the car speed varies from the set speed by a certain amount (see your car Driver's Manual for further information).
You can also quickly CANCEL by tapping the brake pedal.
Note: the above is TYPICAL only, please read your car Driver's Manual for details on how cruise control is implemented in your own car.
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