Many drivers ‘divine’ adaptive cruise control

According to a new study by the American Automobile Association (AAA), people whose vehicles are equipped with adaptive cruise control (ACC) and are not properly instructed will put too much trust in the system, more than level that technology can guarantee. This can lead to them believing things that are in fact dangerously untrue.

Some drivers who are not properly trained in the use of ACC will often believe that the system can react to or stop in front of a stationary object in their lane, such as a post or other obstacle. .

Some also believe the system can act on the steering wheel and help keep the car in the right lane when, in fact, it’s a feature of another system. Others tend to believe that the system is safe to use in all weather conditions – which is also not true.

“New drivers need to be taught how safe, effective and enjoyable the system is before using it on the road,” an AAA representative said.

While drivers often come to their senses once they’ve used the system, they still don’t reach the same level of understanding as drivers who receive brief but well-organized instructions on how to use it. Worse, that despite not fully understanding how the system works, some drivers who weren’t given detailed instructions appeared more confident that they knew everything.

ACC is essentially a more advanced version of the traditional cruise control, or automatic throttle feature, with the use of sensors to calculate and maintain the selected speed to keep a distance from the vehicle in front, help the driver not have to step on the brake and accelerator continuously.

Vehicles with ACC will use radar to scan the space in front to help maintain a distance to the vehicle in front by self-braking. For example, when the driver sets ACC at a speed of 100 km/h, a distance of 80 m from the vehicle in front, if the car in front slows down, the car automatically brakes to slow down, still maintaining the distance. Then when the previous car accelerates again, the driver’s car will also accelerate. The maximum speed does not exceed the set 100 km / h.

America – England