Cruise control has been around for a long time now. The first production car to use a speed-control system? The 1958 Chrysler Imperial. The car feature got named, funny enough, Auto-Pilot.
We’ve come a long way since then. We now have far smarter cruise control systems that we call adaptive cruise control. These aren’t simply on the vehicle to hold one speed. There’s a whole lot more going on.
We will explain what adaptive — or smart — cruise control is about, including how it works and how it can help you drive safely and more comfortably.
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is essentially cruise control that’s gone to college. It uses many sensors to determine how fast you’re going, how fast traffic is going, and how close you are to the vehicles around you.
Some of this sensor-driven data is derived from cameras, lasers, and radar. The ACC-equipped vehicle is receiving information in all directions, and it takes that info and determines if it’s safe to go the speed which you’ve asked of the car when you set the cruise control or if it should slow down.
Let’s say traffic ahead of you begins to slow. Some intelligent systems predict and think ahead as to the actions of cars around you before you notice what’s happening. And other systems utilize map data to know a curve is coming up, and they can slow the vehicle a bit if needed if, say, you set that cruise control speed a bit too high.
Some adaptive cruise control systems will stop the car for you then resume your original speed in a situation like stop-and-go traffic. Quite simply, adaptive cruise control adapts to the changing traffic environment around you.
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As its name attests, smart cruise control is smarter than standard cruise control. And some systems are smarter than others.
For example, Tesla’s Autopilot and Cadillac’s Super Cruise can operate the steering wheel and regulate speed. In the case of Super Cruise, a driver can take their hands off the wheel entirely on specific roads. But drivers are still required to pay attention and take the wheel at a moment’s notice — and these systems can alert the driver to do so if needed.
Subaru’s EyeSight is another great system, part of its more extensive suite of safety features that help keep you moving and adapting to changing traffic conditions.
Lots of automakers offer models with adaptive cruise control systems at all price points in their lineups. And they’re getting more refined and smarter every day. They are not a replacement for your eyes on the road. But they can help make your commute more efficient and less stressful when appropriately used.
Check out the below video from our friends at Autotrader that explains what you need to know about adaptive cruise control.
