I'm bemused...

Anything that doesn't fit elsewhere - doesn't have to be AD related.
TheInsanity1234
Posts: 544
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:03 pm

I'm bemused...

Postby TheInsanity1234 » Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:13 pm

Busily browsing forums in the back of my parent's campervan right now.

Someone just passed us on the motorway in a very new C-Class, and my dad is maintaining something like a 1.5 second gap, busy trafic. Said C-Class pulled in front, quite close, and then suddenly braked, so it was almost like they were brake testing us. No reason, as we were overtaking a string of traffic in L1, so not like we were hogging the middle lane.

Father then pulled out from L2 into L3, behind a BMW which was previously behind the C-Class to overtake the C-Class, as L2 was doing less than 70 I presume. We move out into L3, then C-Class starts indicating to move out in front, so father flashes them out, they move out, and then thank us with their hazards, then drives off into the distance behind said BMW, not agressively tailgating or anything, and their polite reaction to my father letting them move out into L3 makes me think it wasn't a road rage kind of thing.

I was bemused by that, but then suddenly wondered, could it be the C-Class driver was driving with radar guided cruise control? I have noticed an increase in people moving into my braking distance (as is the norm) and then suddenly braking, for no reason other than to increase their braking distance, which they wouldn't need to do if they'd just lifted off as they passed me.

Pretty dull but it got me wondering whether any members here have experience with radar guided cruise.

User avatar
jont-
Posts: 1522
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 7:12 am
Location: Herefordshire

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby jont- » Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:16 pm

Suspect most users of it won't be changing lane at all. That's the whole point of it. Someone moving into their braking gap may cause their car to slow down. Iirc when audi first rolled it out they had to dial back the aggressiveness of the braking.

User avatar
GTR1400MAN
Posts: 2209
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2016 12:23 pm

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby GTR1400MAN » Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:26 pm

I haven't driven one but I have noticed an increase in the number of cars on dual carriageways that overtake, pull back in and then slow quite hard, seemingly to give themselves some braking/following distance ... having just jumped into mine!

Have I really noticed it? Or have I like you been thinking about the radar controlled cruise control?

I use cruise control a lot on dual carriageways and I've always found that I overtake the same car(s) many times. You pass them and pull back in (STILL maintaining the same set cruise speed). They then accelerate, overtake, pull back in and slow up. The dance continues.
Mike Roberts - Now riding a Triumph Explorer XRT. My username comes from my 50K miles on a Kawasaki 1400GTR, after many years on Hondas of various shapes and styles. - https://tinyurl.com/mikerobertsonyoutube

User avatar
akirk
Posts: 1659
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:58 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby akirk » Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:36 pm

just driven 600 miles this week, mainly M5 and M6 -very noticeable those with cruise control where they are doing 1-2 mph more than someone else, accelerate to pass, go back in and then ease off the accelerator- the cruise control cuts back in and slows the car back to the original speed with a jerk...

lots of systems in cars are misused giving perhaps unexpected effects

Alasdair

TheInsanity1234
Posts: 544
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:03 pm

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby TheInsanity1234 » Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:45 pm

jont- wrote:Suspect most users of it won't be changing lane at all. That's the whole point of it. Someone moving into their braking gap may cause their car to slow down. Iirc when audi first rolled it out they had to dial back the aggressiveness of the braking.

Thing is, this Merc pulled into my father's braking distance for no reason, other than to allow the BMW past, which didn't seem to be agressively tailgating the Merc. It just made me wonder "Why not carry on and pass the other 2 cars that were in front of us first?"

I must admit, the concept of adaptive cruise does appeal to me, for nothing more than the ability to set it to do an indicated 55 in roadworks, and then allow the car to just speed up and slow down as appropriate. That's the worst part of using CC in roadworks, as if you set it to any speed you will invaribly find someone who's moving about 1 mph slower than you, so you have to click down slightly, only to find you've over reduced the speed and the car in front is moving away, so you click up a bit and whoops you're gaining, slow down, oh no they're moving away.

Results in me just giving up and using the accelerator and leaving others wondering why I'm incapable of maintaining a fixed distance from another car at 50 :mrgreen:

Personally, what I would prefer would be a speed limiter. Something I can set to say, 80 on a motorway, and then just use the accelerator to adjust my speed as needed, but safe in the knowledge I won't accidentally speed up and find myself overtaking everything in sight. (For instance, that one time I managed to discover just how quiet and comfortable and stable my car is at a very high motorway cruising speed, very late at night on the M4 heading across the Severn Bridge)...
Last edited by TheInsanity1234 on Tue Mar 20, 2018 12:18 am, edited 2 times in total.

fungus
Posts: 439
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:26 pm
Location: Dorset

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby fungus » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:01 pm

Call me a luddite if you like, but I just fail to see the benifit of cruise control. What's the right foot for?

Nigel.

TheInsanity1234
Posts: 544
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:03 pm

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby TheInsanity1234 » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:42 pm

fungus wrote:Call me a luddite if you like, but I just fail to see the benifit of cruise control. What's the right foot for?

Nigel.

I find it helpful in keeping my speed down when on motorways, late at night, as my car is surprisingly quiet all the way up to high speeds, so have caught myself making myself the type of progress that would get me some points and a juicy fine.

It's not an issue in the Yeti however, as anything in excess of an indicated 80 (GPS 76 or so), means the engine revs is outside the "quiet and smooth cruising" region, and so anything faster than indicated 80 results in a nasty vibration in the cabin and a sense that the engine is doing its very best to remove itself from its mounts, so it's hard for me to sustain very high speeds in that.

Unfortunately, in the car I don't really need it in, I have cruise control (the Yeti), but in the car I could do with it being fitted, it is alas, not to be found.

User avatar
GTR1400MAN
Posts: 2209
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2016 12:23 pm

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby GTR1400MAN » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:59 pm

fungus wrote:Call me a luddite if you like, but I just fail to see the benifit of cruise control. What's the right foot for?

Nigel.


"Luddite!" :)

On long drives on major roads it is an aid to avoiding cramp, stiff leg muscles and means when I do get on to the B roads or town I have a fresh leg/foot. With careful forward and rear planning it is surprising just how far you can go at a fixed speed. Whereas if you were doing it all yourself there is a tendency to micro-adjust when it isn't needed.
Mike Roberts - Now riding a Triumph Explorer XRT. My username comes from my 50K miles on a Kawasaki 1400GTR, after many years on Hondas of various shapes and styles. - https://tinyurl.com/mikerobertsonyoutube

fungus
Posts: 439
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:26 pm
Location: Dorset

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby fungus » Mon Mar 19, 2018 10:25 pm

GTR1400MAN wrote:
fungus wrote:Call me a luddite if you like, but I just fail to see the benifit of cruise control. What's the right foot for?

Nigel.


"Luddite!" :)

Thanks. :lol:

On long drives on major roads it is an aid to avoiding cramp, stiff leg muscles and means when I do get on to the B roads or town I have a fresh leg/foot. With careful forward and rear planning it is surprising just how far you can go at a fixed speed. Whereas if you were doing it all yourself there is a tendency to micro-adjust when it isn't needed.


I have driven for 49 years without CC and have never had a problem, including 500 mile drives. I don't suffer with cramp generally, but had a pupil about 12 years ago who did, which could cause problems in heavy traffic.

Nigel.

sussex2
Posts: 732
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 11:43 am

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby sussex2 » Tue Mar 20, 2018 9:37 am

I often drive between Barcelona and the UK and generally, if I can help it, outside of busier periods; the likes of school and public holidays or weekends.
The drive rarely encounters busy traffic at all except around Paris or Toulouse and cruise control is useful on long stretches of pretty much deserted motorway.
I don't use it all the time but it does rest the body a bit. I have to say that it means you need to concentrate in a different kind of way. The concentration required I do not find particularly relaxing and wouldn't use the control for extended periods.
The term 'cruise control' may lead some to think that they can switch off a bit but in my experience that is not the case at all.


Return to “General Chat”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests