Hidden Dangers of Cruise Control Revealed? - What Every REAL Driver Needs to Know!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- Cruise control, a modern driving luxury? What if I told you there are hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface? From bad weather hazards to driver inattentiveness, cruise control could be a ticking time bomb for the unprepared.
Let's dive into the pitfalls you need to watch out for before your next trip & it helps to understand how cruise control works.
The primary function of cruise control is simple: it maintains a set speed for your vehicle. By automating throttle control, it can alleviate some of the stress of long drives and allow the driver to focus on steering.
However, what many don't realize is that this very convenience can also lead to a host of potential problems.
From weather-related issues to over-reliance on technology, there are several risks that come with using cruise control - some of which can have serious consequences. In this video, we take a deep dive into the darker side of cruise control systems and explain why every driver should be aware of these hidden dangers before engaging the system.
We begin by covering the history of cruise control. Today’s systems, on the other hand, are far more sophisticated, with some even capable of adjusting speed based on traffic and road conditions.
So, how does cruise control work? At its core, cruise control systems monitor vehicle speed and make adjustments to the throttle to maintain the desired pace. Simple cruise control is what many drivers are familiar with - it’s the version that keeps the car at a set speed by adjusting the throttle. However, when driving through hills or valleys, this system can struggle to keep up, resulting in the car losing or gaining speed inappropriately.
This is where more advanced systems, such as proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control and adaptive cruise control, come into play.
While proportional control simply regulates throttle based on speed, PID control takes it further by considering the distance traveled and factoring in the time taken to do so, allowing it to adjust for gradients like hills.
Adaptive cruise control, the latest evolution, uses radar to maintain a safe distance from the car in front. However, even this high-tech system has limitations, particularly in its ability to function at high speeds or long distances. But even with these advancements, problems can arise.
One of the most pressing dangers of cruise control is its inability to account for sudden changes in weather conditions. Imagine you're driving on a wet or icy road.
This is a key reason why it’s important to manually take control of the vehicle in adverse weather conditions.
Another danger comes into play when overtaking. Many drivers will use cruise control during overtaking maneuvers, increasing the set speed to pass a slower vehicle. However, this can be dangerous, as it removes an element of control from the driver.
Cruise control lacks this finesse, which can make overtaking on twisting roads or at high speeds a risky proposition.
Beyond these mechanical concerns, there’s also the very human tendency to become complacent. Cruise control has the potential to dull a driver's alertness and reduce vigilance. The act of manually controlling the throttle keeps a driver engaged with the task of driving.
But when cruise control is engaged, drivers are more likely to zone out or become distracted, which can lead to dangerous situations, particularly on long, straight stretches of highway where there's little variation in speed or road conditions. In extreme cases, drivers have even fallen asleep at the wheel while using cruise control, with disastrous consequences.
Finally, while cruise control systems themselves have evolved, so too have the controls. In many cars, these systems are operated by a series of buttons or switches, often located on the steering wheel or dashboard.
The key takeaway is that cruise control, while convenient, should never be a substitute for active, engaged driving. In this video, we’ll explore the finer details of how cruise control works, the types of systems available, and the specific risks they pose in various driving situations.
Whether you're dealing with bad weather, overtaking, or just trying to stay alert during a long drive, it’s essential to understand when and how to disengage your cruise control system to stay safe. Remember, cruise control is a tool, not an autopilot, and it’s your responsibility as the driver to ensure that you're always in full control of your vehicle.
#CruiseControl #DrivingSafety #CarTech #DriverAwareness #RoadSafety #AdaptiveCruiseControl #HiddenDangers #CarSystems #DriveSmart
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I don't understand why is this channel so undervalued, it's such a gem, I've learned so much watching it. Not even Scotty is takkling some of these car topics in such a depth on he's channel.
@@edgarsjacinics1983 can't agree more. But let's help him out by sharing his content and watching it more often to boost this awesome channel. 👍 😎
Aw you guys make me blush. Thanks for the kind words, the support is really helping keep me going. We don't have a big budget, and to be frank what we earn from this doesn't cover the cost of making the videos, but if I can help people out along the way it's worth the effort. You never know we might go viral one day
Honestly I think it's probably just the algorithm, before it the playing field was more level, nowadays it's hard when you're not popular and easier if you are already. I quit doing TH-cam when it was re-vamped :P
I consider myself a good driver and others say I'm a really good driver. I also driver 80km everyday in constant moving traffic. I love cruise control. And yes, in my experience it saves fuel.
In iffy weather conditions it's always best to just drive the car yourself. In rain it's no problem though.
Longer constant moving journeys can hurt the top of your foot. (Dont know how to properly describe it in english, I'm dutch) and cruise control takes that stress off, I love it.
Not constantly having to accelerate after accidentally dropping back is one of the cited fuel saving advantages of CC.
Cruise control puts me to sleep.
I never use it, I like varying the revs on my engine.
Great video! I never realized how much we take cruise control for granted. It’s easy to think of it as a convenience, but the risks you’ve highlighted make me think twice about using it without full attention. I especially appreciate the explanation of how it can cause complacency and delay reaction times in emergency situations. We often overlook the importance of staying engaged while driving, even when tech is doing the heavy lifting. This is a wake-up call for anyone who drives regularly-stay alert, no matter how easy it seems.
Subaru eyesight works very well. It is still just a computer, which can fail anytime. Pay attention at all times. Makes driving more pleasurable and less stressful.
hello here:
I constantly use CC every day, when i know im gonna maintain my speed for some time i just turn it on. Its kore efficient because you are not always changing speed and its better on your foot. Off course just because i have cc turned on doesn't need i need to stop driving and to be honest, on long journey i actually feel more distracted and sleepy when im not using it, maybe because i tire myself much earlier? Or maybe because speed is anither thing i need to focus my attention on. Another benefit of CC is that, you can set the speed you wsnt to go and not horry about it anymore, mainly when you have roads with speed cameras.
Couldn’t agree more
Cruise control and smart motorways
Causing lane hogging poor awareness. Deskilling driving mostly when on regular commute roads in my opinion.
Don't get me started on hill assist and auto park systems!
Have had basic CC on a Seat Leon and now ACC on a mk7.5 Golf.
Have to say basic you really need your wits about you, if approaching slower vehicles, as it will push on regardless. I would only use in very quiet traffic conditions.
I honestly think ACC is a superb safety feature once one has got accustomed to the features, backing off slightly earlier from slower vehicles than i possibly would in manual. Its a slightly different skillset, using the indicators instead of throttle to effect overtakes. Easy enough to deactivate should the traffic situation become more 'complex'.
Yes, you could drive ever so slightly more economically yourself, but the difference is negligible really.
I've had cruise control for years along with a speed limiter. The only thing I found initially was a tendency to leave the cruise control on in situations where I should have cancelled it. This is when you're catching up to a vehicle in lane 1 and trying to find space in a busy lane 2. Now I cancel the system and resume when a space opens up and I'm in lane 2.
I do find a speed limiter really useful in heavier traffic situations as traffic tends to vary its speed infront of me.
The combination of both systems does allow me to focus more on observation rather than be concerned about the increasing number of speed cameras and perhaps breaking the limit.
I am capable of maintaining a speed but find these systems result in a relaxing drive and less fatigue overall.
i do lots of driving in my lil golf diesel from long distances 1300km at least 8 times a year and then 70 km daily, but more in hilly area and and i do see that without cruise control i drive more economically in these hilly areas also feels more safe since you constantly change your speed. using cruise control on highways is so normal now that when i had a car without it and had to do the long-distance i really appreciated the ECC i normally have.
I only use cruise control when I want to move/stretch/relax my right leg for a few moments on open road. What I use often/daily is the speed limiter, to not worry too much about exceeding the speed limit for the section of road, and pay more attention to the road/traffic.
I use my cruise control 99% of the time, love it.
With a manual gearbox, all CC can struggle if the gradient increases as you find yourself in a too higher gear, I am not sure what happens with an auto gearbox. Proportional CC was great on a previous manual car, you knew exactly what it was doing i.e. was entirely predictable. My current manual car with adaptive CC should be better as it maintains a proportional distance between you and the vehicle in front, however this is also frustrating as you never close up to that vehicle on a dual carriageway before pulling out to overtake them. Also, the system detects that car in the outside lane that for some reason is slowing down, slowing you down in the process even though the vehicle you are following is pulling away.
The first one I drove was a hired Ford car in Canada. Drove it on some long, dead straight roads for a while. Later on, I ran a Toyota that had almost old style cruise that just maintained the speed without manual adjustment (it did allow it to be overridden using the accelerator if required).
These days I run one with assisted cruise control, I.e. using radar to detect what is ahead. As you say, it can be problematic in wet or other conditions where longer gaps are necessary. I’ve set mine up to it’s maximum, which is just about right in the dry. There’s a long list of things that can go wrong in the user manual, and it can either over react to things picked up by the radar that are not actually in front, or it can fail to detect some things altogether. It’s an assistance system, not automatic control, in theory.
Both of the cars mentioned are Toyota hybrids, so the engine starts and stops on the move, so there isn’t a real “throttle” at all. Similar for battery EVs, no doubt.
Incidentally, a benefit that you do not mention is that it makes it possible to position one’s foot on top of the brake in some places where it might save time if the worst happens, while maintaining a steady speed; of course, sometimes it’s better to do the opposite and accelerate away quickly, bit it’s up to you to plan ahead about that.
I find cruise control very useful, and I use it a lot. (Note, I have an DSG gearbox.) However it's just another form of throttle control for me, not just a fire and forget on/off system.
I don't have adaptive cruise, but I do have a VAG system that allows 1mph changes to the set speed, as well as resume last set speed and lock to current speed. I can engage cruise control from 20mph, so for economical urban driving, I find cruise very useful as it doesn't inadvertently over-throttle, so provides good economy. If the traffic speed changes, it's easy to disengage, let the car slow to the new traffic flow speed and then re-engage cruise at the new speed, adjusting speed by +/- 1mph as needed. It's also helpful for not feeling pressured during speed-restrictions on the motorway, as sometimes close following traffic can put pressure on drivers to "keep up" with speeding traffic. I find it a very iseful feature, but it's nuch more interactive than people assume, IMO.
I use cruise control a lot. Mainly on longer distances so I can stay on the speed limit as much as I can. I never use cruise control if there's snow or slippery conditions. That can give you some nasty experiences.
It's good for curtailing the inclination to break speed limit. You can set to the speed limit (-1 in built up areas) and just settle into it, rather than creeping mph by mph.
You get to know your cruise control, at which point there is no excuse for letting speed escalate drown hill. It becomes very second nature to feel when that will start to happen, and apply breaks manually if your cruise can't do this for you.
Combined with an automatic great box it aids patience, and reduces stress/load.
Our work Toyota Kluger will drop your speed on the entry into a curve.
However if you are 20 over or under the cruise set and it will self cancel
Don't use it much {stop and go city traffic mostly for me} but the Adaptive cruise in my 2016 Passat works great on the open road. Never use it in the rain or snow.
I have driven More Than 500 miles to Chicago with NO cruise contril because it was malfunctioning. And have done this on many occasions... Oh! my tired foot and legs!!
In spain during 2008-2010 financial crisis the legal speed limit was reduced to 110 km/h from 120 to save fuel and money.
I never knew that, how interesting. I wonder if it worked much?
In the Netherlands, about ten years or so ago, the speed limit during daytime (6am-7pm) was changed from 130 to 100. It remains so up to this day. The general populace wants it reverted badly, but it's not feasible, as the reduction in fuel consumption, traffic fatalities, tyre wear, and environmental impact is enormous.
More like 5 years ago😅
But now we can drive in 4th gear instead of 6th gear 😂
I love cruise control, but only before adaptive cruise control stuff came around.
Love cruise. Set it at 80mph in my E46 m-sport 330, crossfire, and daily jcw kit r56 mini dooper. All manual shifters. Flick it on mostly unless I have to adjust speed due to traffic conditions. A new adition to my fleet of an mx5 nc has no cc and i miss it. BTW not sure why you mention hills etc as I have not found that a problem. No dangers as far as I have experienced. I think most people cannot actually drive properly these days.
I've done a few back to back comparisons of CC vs me on the same journey and have never had CC improve my mpg. I always beat it. Not always by much but I always beat it. (Car is unmodified 2000 Audi TT 1.8T). I only really uae it to give my leg a rest for a few minutes on long journeys.
Talks about "professional drivers" also warns about people thinking cruise control is some sort of "super automatic system"
One thing I found dangerous was on my VW Golf Mk6 , the 'resume' switch (+) is located top edge on the indicator stalk.... as it was programmed to 73mph as I got of the motorway and indicated to take an exit on the round about I accidently pressed on the Resume button, suddenly the car started accelerating on it own and almost went in the back of the vehicle in front of me, luckily I was quick on the brakes!! But once bitten twice as shy
I can control my car's speed better than CC. I see a hill and know exactly when to increase pressure on the throttle. Same thing when cresting a hill, I know when to lift off beforehand. That way, my speeds stay more consistent. 😺
I used to drive an HGV overnight, mostly on motorways. Cruise control was useful as there was very little traffic. I don't use it in my car because I mostly drive during the day with lots of traffic around town. Horses for courses.
Thats interesting, and makes sense. Do the HGV come with adaptive cruise control. I can always guarantee a HGV driver will keep a constant speed if I'm following.
I use it often on long journeys so I can relax my legs
Also the safety of radar curise in foggy weather where the radar can pick up a car in the fog that forgot to turn on lights before you can see it
That is a good point I hadn't considered. Lots of cars have collision protection systems now which I guess still use radar of some form.
I drove a company vehicle for hours at a time on mostly empty highways. The vehicle was GPS monitored for speed. So cruise control was my best friend. But so were the rumble strips on the edges of the road because there was many times I've lost 40 - 50 miles of because I was sleeping!
You slept for 40-50 miles! EEK! It is easily done. I think I'll do a video on this, did you know 1 in 35 drivers fell asleep driving in the US in the last 30 days!
In any vehicle with throttle-by-wire, driving at a constant speed along the motorway becomes real tiring, real quick. All that artificial smoothing means you've got to work a lot harder. Cruise control is essential at that point.
Nonsense.
I do not know where you got the information about 111 mph limit for ACC. It certainly does not apply to my BMW. The ACC in my 2020 G31 works at 220 km/h just fine.
Thanks for the heads up on that one. I based this purely on the specs I reviewed - I think it was VW early radar unit and guessed they were all the same. It still works as cruise control but people found they ended up too close to the car in front before it backed off at those really high speeds.
I'll certainly do some more research into this area then, it sounds like BMW have it sorted. Have you found an upper limit or drawbacks at those Autobahn speeds?
Enterprises own the world and governments are their distributors.
23 Reg auto-engaged CC, towing caravan at 50mph on dual carriageway, when suddenly the system braked heavily - very dangerous - it had picked up an A road 30mph speed limit, quickly applied throttle to original speed, drivers who were behind, blasting their horns as they passed; NOT USED much now, as similar interventions have happened when different speed limits are picked up. NB: Retired IT Consultant - love tech, though not this lottery game.
It automatically sets the cruise control to the speed limits? Not sure I would like that. Normal adaptive cc with human input required is great.
Both my wife and I Love cruise control. We have grown up and realized that excessive speed doesn’t get you anywhere faster. That being said, we also avoid conflict by not obstructing the morons that will likely never grow up and figure it out. Cruise helps in consistently maintaining a safe law abiding speed. On 80Km/h roads, law enforcement will typically ignore 10 over in good driving conditions. On 100Km/h, up to 20 over is tolerated but 21 and your pinched. On a 3 lane (100Km/h) highway I’ll favour the middle lane and set the cruise at 115Km/h. My car gets optimized fuel economy while not conflicting with the faster drivers in the passing lane and also not conflicting with slower traffic in the merge lane. In reasonable traffic I can often travel the 100km from where I live to the city without ever touching the brakes. Recently purchased a new car with adaptive cruise. Absolute game changer! It works flawlessly. NOW, throw in some heavy rain or worse… snow. PLEASE DO NOT use cruise in bad weather! I have tried it on a backroad during a snow storm. Climbing a hill, it will conflict with the traction control and let the car spin the wheels into a potentially dangerous loss of control. Almost 40 years of driving (logged at least a million Km). I have not had a speeding ticket in approximately the last 25 years (knock on wood). Cruise control is partly to thank for this.
That's a good record, well done. I like your approach to driving.
Driving faster does get you there faster though.
I have it but have never used it. Don't trust it.
Use to use it quite a lot some years ago now I don't bother with it now too many road users and inconsistent speeds that I see on motorways as well as poor lane discipline I find myself focusing on my own control and speed maintenance, unless I am on a nice big open road in Europe with no cars in sight ill dust off the cruise button 😅
when i went to the uk for the first time this summer i realised that as well ahaha cruise control is just a pain in the ass even on the highways. i though the worse drivers in Europe where the danish but the uk is on there to.
I don't use it at all. I just want to take as much responsibility for the car as possible. I don't like relying on computer calculations for steering, acceleration or braking.
Never ever even think of using it i like to be in control
@@richardsmith8938 I find I can observe the road better when using CC as I'm not having to check my speed every few seconds.
If I use cruise control and I take my hands off the wheel the car go’s nuts. It makes sure you’re still maintaining control at all times,
The Audi I drove did this, the auto steer auto cruise still insisted I keep my hands on the steering wheel.
The self steering but requiring your hand on the wheel is very annoying and less relaxing.
I've never used it on any car iv had it on ,I don't want to go near the thing
@@garymiller7218 lol, why's that Gary
I nearly never use it. With how I want to drive (probably much faster than you)... you need full attention and proper speed variation, or someone's going to end up hurt. Full attention on the road, at all times. If anyone doesn't think so, they shouldn't be on the road!
Not everyone wants to drive like you though (a dickhead).
That sounds like nonsense. If people were drunk or on drugs as often as they are tired, that would be far more dangerous. Tired is bad, impaired is worse because it perverts judgement at multiple levels in multiple directions.
I've just been reading a study that said sleep deprived drivers are MORE impaired than someone over the legal blood alcohol limit. I do take the point that drugs and drink are lethal but sleepy drivers still cause quite a few crashes. One study recommended 7-9 hours sleep and said 4-5 hours was enough to impair our ability to drive.
Id comment, but torque cars gets butt hurt and deletes them.
LOL - If your intention was to "hurt me" you're totally wasting your time, the filters on here automatically block those types of comments so they never even get seen and I have pretty thick skin and I simply don't care what people think of me/my hair/my race etc...
The only posts that get deleted are those that use foul language or abuse one of the other commenters on here. If people don't have anything nice or constructive to say they shouldn't bother as no one is listening to them. I only delete 1 comment every couple of days, most people are quite respectful.
However I don't recall ever seeing let alone removing a comment from you, even the one than likened me to a "popular cartoon character" - I thought that was amusing - there is a resemblance there!
@@torquecars Nope. You've deleted my comments helping other youtubers with their car questions on your channel.
Sorry buddy I am sure I have never deleted a comment from you. The comments are the lifeblood here, I really wouldn't remove or delete them. I don't have any other moderators either at the moment to blame. A deletion is so rare I can usually remember the user concerned.
Things to check, if the comment is flagged by the system as spam or abusive it will just vanish. If they contain links they will also often be removed by TH-cam (I had a comment automatically deleted because I included a couple of links in it.)
By the way if you ever disagree with me, if I'm wrong or I get something wrong I do want to know about it - this is how we all learn and improve so these comments are welcomed.
@@torquecars I appreciate it. I joke with you, but I do like and appreciate your content. I don't use foul language or racism. I hope you are well.✌️💯
I have cruise control in my car. I only use it in road works or roads that has a reduced speed limit. No one should use it in any other circumstances. If they do they are nuts.
@@adventcliff2040 so you use the speed limiting part of it?
You don't stick to the speed limit under normal conditions then?
Can't agree with this. I drive mostly on non urban areas and use it whenever possible ie low traffic density, motorways etc. I get about 41mpg average in an Audi allroad. I'm happy with that.
@hamstercanibal yes rest of the time I control it by right foot