Table Of Content
- Adaptive Cruise Control FAQs
- HOW TO GET STARTED WITH ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
- Adaptive Cruise Control: How Does It Work?
- ACC + GPS or Traffic Sign Recognition
- Safety Consideration When Using Adaptive Cruise Control
- How does Adaptive Cruise Control work?
- Measuring road traffic density: what you need to know
- An Unresponsive Driver

It faired much better on the highway—in fact, it almost felt like an entirely different system. Early systems didn’t allow for presetting the maintained following distance. Consequently, a vehicle six or seven car lengths ahead of you moving into your lane became almost an airbag-deploying event. However, as ACC systems evolved and improved, we became more accustomed to them. The reason drivers don’t usually experience motion sickness is because they can anticipate sudden changes in speed; however, with automatic cruise control the driver may become disconcerted by rapid shifts in speed that could potentially lead to driver errors.
Adaptive Cruise Control FAQs
But cruise control actuates the throttle valve by a cable connected to an actuator, instead of by pressing a pedal. The throttle valve controls the power and speed of the engine by limiting how much air the engine takes in (see How Fuel Injection Systems Work for more details). While ACC is designed to increase safety and convenience, it is most effective in steady traffic conditions on highways or well-marked roads. It is not recommended for use in city driving, in adverse weather conditions, or on roads with poor lane markings as these factors can reduce the system’s effectiveness. If the driver is unresponsive, however, BlueCruise merely slows the vehicle to 6 mph and continues driving in the same lane indefinitely. It doesn’t bring the car to a complete stop, put on the emergency flashers, or call for help.
HOW TO GET STARTED WITH ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
“The result is that Pilot Assist isn’t all that helpful to the driver. Much of this could have been solved had Volvo simply installed a driver-facing camera,” Funkhouser says. At times it also moved uncomfortably close to a vehicle in an adjacent lane, and our testers noted that occasionally the system was incapable of keeping the vehicle within the lane through curves. The updated Hyundai/Kia/Genesis system—called Highway Driving Assist 2 (evaluated on a Hyundai Ioniq 6)—performed much better thanks to its substantially improved LCA system, which no longer struggles to keep the vehicle near the center of the lane. Though still relatively new, ADA systems are already available on more than 50 percent of 2023 model-year vehicles, according to CR’s data. So it’s likely that the next new car you buy will come with an ADA system as an option, if not as a standard feature.
Adaptive Cruise Control: How Does It Work?
For many people, the next new car they buy will be their first experience with an active driving assistance system. Volvo/Polestar’s Pilot Assist system lost points because it frequently goes into “standby” mode—which is when the system is not giving steering assistance—without a clear warning to the driver. The periodic mode changes create uncertainty as to whether the system is actively providing steering assistance or not, resulting in the driver frequently looking at the instrument panel for verification rather than keeping their eyes on the road. When it comes to LCA, the systems from Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla all gave smooth steering inputs and did a good job of keeping the car at or near the center of the lane on both straight and curvy roads. This type of performance gives confidence to the driver that these systems are highly capable.
CR Rates Active Driving Assistance Systems - Consumer Reports
CR Rates Active Driving Assistance Systems.
Posted: Tue, 17 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Real-time location data allows the ACC system to adjust to changing traffic patterns and road conditions, enhancing its predictive capabilities. The integration of location technology with other sensor inputs helps ACC adapt to varying traffic conditions and road layouts with precision. The "adaptive" part of ACC is what makes it stand out from other cruise control systems. It refers to the ability to alter the vehicle's speed in response to upcoming traffic conditions.
Safety Consideration When Using Adaptive Cruise Control
Also, if you were on a steep enough hill, the car might not accelerate at all. Ford’s BlueCruise sets a high standard among ADA systems, aided by an infrared camera that monitors the driver’s eyes to determine whether they are looking at the road. If the driver glances away from the road for more than about 5 seconds—whether to look at their cell phone or fiddle with the infotainment screen, or because they fell asleep—the system will give the driver a visual warning and an audible chime.
How does Adaptive Cruise Control work?
Some systems also feature forward collision warning systems, which warn the driver if a vehicle in front—given the speed of both vehicles—gets too close within the preset headway or braking distance. Beyond the similar naming, there are several different features that adaptive cruise control is often bundled with to provide sensor fusion. One example of this is a feature called ACC with Stop and Go or ACC with Traffic Jam Assist. This adds the ability to come to a complete stop via automatic braking and then re-accelerate to the car’s set speed as traffic moves.
Measuring road traffic density: what you need to know
In a Consumer Reports survey, 85 percent of drivers with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) on their vehicles said they were very satisfied with it. What’s more, 19 percent said their ACC system helped to avoid a crash. In our testing, the system consistently allowed our drivers to keep their hands fully off the steering wheel for 2 minutes and 15 seconds before the first audible warning was given to put their hands back on the wheel.
An Unresponsive Driver
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. Instead of stopping there, adaptive cruise control uses a radar sensor on the front grille and a camera in the dash window to identify approaching vehicles and maintain a safe distance.

All the while, data from sensors is used to keep a set, safe distance from cars ahead when you encounter heavy traffic. Adaptive cruise control is an advanced driver assistance system designed to automatically adjust a vehicle's speed to maintain a safe distance from those ahead. This not only reduces the chances of impact but also represents a significant shift from traditional cruise control systems that were limited to maintaining a constant speed only. Adaptive cruise control is similar to conventional cruise control in that it maintains the vehicle's pre-set speed. However, unlike conventional cruise control, this new system can automatically adjust speed in order to maintain a proper distance between vehicles in the same lane.
Keith Barry has been an auto reporter at Consumer Reports since 2018. He focuses on safety, technology, and the environmental impact of cars. Previously, he led home and appliance coverage at Reviewed; reported on cars for USA Today, Wired, and Car & Driver; and wrote for other publications as well. Keith earned a master’s degree in public health from Tufts University. “I use the feature mostly on the freeway and in stop-and-go traffic. I find it reduces tension and fatigue,” wrote a 2020 Subaru Outback owner.
For example, Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot, Ford’s BlueCruise, the Mercedes Drive Pilot, and General Motors’ Super Cruise bring the potential for Level 3. A few over-the-air software tweaks will turn the potential into reality. However, like a stood-up date who is all dressed up with nowhere to go, you will not find Level 3-designated highways as of yet. Another inventor named Harold Exline, working independently of Riley, also invented a type of cruise control that he first installed on his car and friends' cars. The brain of a cruise control system is a small computer that is normally found under the hood or behind the dashboard.
So, if the cruise control is set at 60 mph and the car is going 50 mph, the throttle position will be open quite far. When the car is going 55 mph, the throttle position opening will be only half of what it was before. The result is that the closer the car gets to the desired speed, the slower it accelerates.
“That’s simply irresponsible on the part of the automaker,” Funkhouser says. Our testers saw significant improvements with Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist 2, which scored 12 points higher than the original system. This is mainly because the updated version’s LCA system does a much better job of keeping the vehicle near the center of the lane, rather than allowing it to ping-pong back and forth between the lane lines. While the original system still scores last of the 17 systems we’ve tested, Highway Driving Assist 2 ranks 11th. The white Adaptive Cruise Control icon will change to green, which means the system is in use. Maintaining consistent speeds and avoiding unnecessary acceleration and deceleration also optimizes fuel consumption.
Do not attempt to set cruise control when you are traveling over the speed limit. Adaptive cruise control is just a preview of the technology being developed by both companies. These systems are being enhanced to include collision warning capabilities that will warn drivers through visual and/or audio signals that a collision is imminent and that braking or evasive steering is needed. This factor helps the cruise control respond quickly to changes, such as hills. If the car starts to slow down, the cruise control can see this acceleration (slowing down and speeding up are both acceleration) before the speed can actually change much, and respond by increasing the throttle position. The cruise control system controls the speed of your car the same way you do -- by adjusting the throttle position.
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