As vehicle technology advances quickly, many new cars come with upgrades like adaptive cruise control. And while cruise control comes standard on most new cars, adaptive cruise control can add a level of convenience that can make driving easier and more pleasant. But since adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems aren’t exactly cheap, many drivers wonder what exactly it is and what it does to make driving easier and safer.
At its most basic, adaptive cruise control is able to sense the traffic ahead of the vehicle and slow the car down to maintain a certain distance between cars. It can then resume the original speed when the lane is clear. But there are many other features available today that work with this system.
What Does Adaptive Cruise Control Do?
Imagine you’re driving on the highway. With regular cruise control, you can set a speed and take your foot off the gas pedal, giving your ankle a break and helping to prevent cramping if you’re on a long trip. Not only that, but knowing that you’re at a set speed allows you to rest easy knowing you won’t get a speeding ticket. You can also focus on the road and your mirrors without having to look down at the speedometer every few seconds.
But what happens when you come up on a slower moving car in your lane? With standard cruise control you can either punch the reduce speed button and hope that the car slows down quick enough so you can change lanes without shutting off cruise control. Your other option is to just shut off cruise control and slow the car down yourself so you don’t run into the slower vehicle ahead.
Adaptive cruise control does this for you. When the ACC system senses a vehicle ahead, it will slow down automatically once that vehicle comes within a certain distance of yours. You can adjust this distance by selecting an option, which will tell the ACC system when to slow you down in relation to the vehicle ahead. Some systems measure this distance in car lengths, while others simply give the options of short, medium, and long.
So let’s say you have the adaptive cruise control system set to “short.” Your vehicle will slow you down to maintain that “short” distance behind the vehicle ahead. The exact measurements of that distance vary from system to system.
Now, imagine that the slow car ahead of you suddenly speeds up. Your adaptive cruise control system will speed up as well, stopping at the speed you originally set the cruise control to. You can also change lanes and, provided that lane is clear ahead, the vehicle will speed up again to your preset speed.
It can be pretty handy! But how exactly does it work?
How Does Adaptive Cruise Control Work
There are a few different technologies behind today’s adaptive cruise control systems. Which technology any given vehicle has depends on its manufacturer. In some instances, vehicles may have more than one type of sensor technology. The three main types are:
- Laser
- Radar
- Optical (camera)
Laser acc systems measure the distance from the car ahead by using a laser, usually from somewhere in the front grille of the car.
Radar systems do the same, but with radar-based technology. These sensors are often placed in various areas around the vehicle in order to sense objects ahead and around.
Optical or camera systems work by “seeing” any vehicles ahead. Often, these optical sensors are placed on the front-facing side of the rearview mirror, gazing out through the windshield to feed a computer that controls speed and braking when the ACC system is engaged.
Can Adaptive Cruise Control Completely Stop Your Car?
Some more advanced adaptive cruise control systems are designed for use in stop-and-go traffic, as well as on highways. This means that they do have the ability to completely stop the vehicle and then accelerate again once the vehicle ahead moves.
However, not all ACC systems can do this. And some systems can get close to this, slowing the car significantly without actually fully stopping it. This is why it’s important to get clear on what the capabilities of a specific car’s ACC system are.
Some people have complained that their ACC stops the car too hard and fast at slow speeds, which can be a little jarring for the people inside. These kinds of kinks are likely to be worked out before too long, but they’re something to keep in mind in the meantime.
Does Adaptive Cruise Control Help Save Gas?
Similar to regular cruise control, adaptive cruise control can absolutely help you save gas. But like cruise control, you must know how to get the most out of the tool in order to save money.
Studies show that cruise control, adaptive or otherwise, saves gas by limiting speed fluctuations which can burn through fuel. But they also show that, when used on hills, cruise control can actually burn more gas by trying to maintain the vehicle’s set speed.
Smart use of adaptive cruise control is similar to regular cruise control in this way. If you take control of the vehicle on hills, allowing the speedometer to drop by 5 to 10 mph while going up hills and then allowing that same upward fluctuation when going down hills, you’ll do a better job of saving gas than adaptive cruise control.
But on relatively flat terrain, using adaptive cruise control can save you gas. Usually this number is in the 5% to 10% range, but it all depends on the driver and the car.
How to Use Adaptive Cruise Control
The exact use of adaptive cruise control depends on the functionality of the specific vehicle. However, most of the time it’s pretty standard, although the buttons make look different and be in slightly different locations from vehicle to vehicle.
Here’s a general idea of the steps it takes to use adaptive cruise control:
- Find the cruise control button and press it so that cruise control is on but not yet engaged.
- Get your vehicle up to your desired speed.
- Once at your desired speed, press the button to set cruise control.
- Select your desired following distance by pressing the relevant button. You may need to press it multiple times to cycle through the options, which will often be indicated by a light or lights on the dashboard.
Other Names for Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control goes by many names. And while these names may sound different, they all mean essentially the same thing. However, it’s always a good idea to get a detailed rundown of what features adaptive cruise control has for a car you’re considering. Here are some of the names ACC is otherwise known by:
- Intelligent Cruise Control
- Dynamic Cruise Control
- Smart Cruise Control
- Advanced Smart Cruise Control
- Active Distance Assist Distronic
- Active Cruise Control
- Radar Cruise Control
- Automatic Cruise Control
What Car Manufacturers Offer Adaptive Cruise Control?
Every major car manufacturer now offers adaptive cruise control as an option or standard on newer models. In fact, if you have a late model car, you may even be able to have adaptive cruise control installed aftermarket.
If you’re looking to buy a new car and you want adaptive cruise control, you won’t have to look hard. There are plenty of options, and not just on luxury cars. However, if you want additional features like those made for stop and go traffic, you’ll need to specify. Some car manufacturers offer this option and other features on many of their newer models.
When Not to Use Adaptive Cruise Control
There are certain times when you shouldn’t use adaptive cruise control. Mostly these have to do with inclement weather, such as rain, snow, sleet, or slick conditions. Not only can adaptive cruise control contribute to an accident in these conditions, but some technology doesn’t work well in rain or snow.
For example, laser-based adaptive cruise control can have a hard time “seeing” the car ahead due to interference from rain and snow. And whether you’re using ACC or standard cruise control, the last thing you want your car to do is try to maintain speed if you hit a slick patch of road and lose traction.
Plus, if your ACC doesn’t have features designed for slow traffic, you probably won’t want to use it anywhere but the highway and at relatively high speeds. In fact, some ACC systems won’t allow you to turn them on unless you’re above a certain speed and will shut off if you drop below that speed.
In Conclusion
Adaptive cruise control is a great tool that can help drivers prevent fatigue, pay more attention to the road, and can even save gas. But like any other tool, it should be used wisely and is never a substitute for an alert driver. That said, this technology is the basis for autonomous vehicles that will be widely available in the coming years.
While adaptive cruise control is called by many names, the basic functionality remains the same: to maintain a set speed and keep a set distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Other features are available, but even the standard ACC systems can be a great help and an excellent safety feature — particularly on road trips and highway driving.