Today on my microcast, Technology Bytes, I discuss Adaptive Cruise Control.
I drive a Honda Civic so I will be discussing Adaptive Cruise Control as implemented by Honda. Honda also includes what they call Low Speed Follow in their adaptation.
Adaptive Cruise Control is a technology that allows a vehicle to set a cruise control speed that is met when no cars are in close proximity going slower than the set speed. If a vehicle is going slower in front of the one using Adaptive Cruise Control that car also slows. In other words, it adapts to the speed of traffic at the moment. It is very nice to have and make driving in traffic a much better experience.
In the Honda world you can set the sensitivity (distance) you want to keep from the vehicle in front of you and it also will adjust speed all the way to stop if that is what happens. If the traffic starts moving within a couple of seconds of the stop Adaptive Cruise Control with Slow Speed Follow will start to move as well. It is almost magical. If the traffic stops for too long the driver must press the accelerator to get the vehicle moving but soon after Adaptive Cruise Control will re-activate.
I believe this to be a great safety feature as the camera looking at traffic is never distracted. If the drive is distracted the vehicle will not collide with stopped traffic. The Adaptive Cruise Control also fights driver fatigue. Stop and go traffic is the worst driving condition and wears on the nerves of every driver. Adaptive Cruise Control minimizes this effort and fatigue.
I believe that Adaptive Cruise Control should be a requirement for all vehicles driven on roads in the United States. I also believe that the government should require all drivers to activate Adaptive Cruise Control during any freeway driving (or distance driving on two lane roads). I have know idea how that could or would be inforced but if possible it would do much to eliminate accidents from distracted and fatigued drivers. Also the flow of traffic would not be reliant on a driver reacting in a timely manner to the traffic in front of them. All cars would react almost simultaneously and traffic jams would become a problem of the past.
This may be wishful thinking on my part but I will always and continuously use Adaptive Cruise Control during all of my freeway or distance excursions.
