Using cruise control while in an urban setting isn’t a wise choice

Q Don’t worry, Mr. Roadshow. There are very few places where your cruise control will be engaged long enough for your mind to drift. I use mine mostly on city streets and expressways to keep myself from going too fast. Just keep a thumb on the “cancel” button and your foot hovering over the brake pedal.

— Mary A.

A I would not use cruise control on city streets, where left turns, bicyclists, pedestrians and many other situations might require a stop, a change in speed or some sudden and unexpected change.

Q

I refrain from using cruise control in urban areas and disagree that using it lulls me into a “sleep-like trance.” I find that I’m paying more attention to traffic when I use cruise control along long stretches of Interstate 5 and I-15.

Why? Because my goal is to not disengage cruise control to gain the highest fuel efficiency. That means I have to be hyper-aware of any traffic around me, especially differences in speed, so I can reduce the cruise control speed when necessary to match slower traffic in front of me until it is clear to go around. —ChuckM.,

San Jose

A

OK, I’ll go with Adaptive Cruise Control, which is being used on new vehicles. Early cruise control systems were developed to assist those driving long distances on highways and was focused on maintaining a consistent speed. The conventional cruise control becomes less useful in congested traffic.

This drawback can be overcome by Adaptive Cruise Control, which is meant to avoid rear-end collisions. ACC reduces the stress of driving in dense traffic and makes it possible to maintain a safe distance between your car and the car ahead without your intervention.

Adaptive Cruise Control allows a vehicle’s cruise control system to adapt its speed to the traffic environment. A radar system attached to the front of the vehicle is used to detect whether slower moving vehicles or obstacles are in the vehicle’s path. If a slower moving vehicle or obstacle is detected, the ACC can be canceled by pressing the accelerator.

The system makes it possible to adapt the distance to the car ahead without the driver’s intervention.

Q While I do not use cruise control in any slippery conditions (think rain or snow), it helps me be a better driver at other times. I no longer have to continually look at my speedometer to check my speed and pay 100% attention to traffic around me without worrying about getting a speeding ticket.

— Vivian Euzent, Sunnyvale

A That’s the final word today.