idiot motorway overtakers who cut in with just 2 car lengths gap

interstellaflyer

matttye wrote: »

My thumb actually sits on the cruise control button, no finding required.

I usually use the brake to slow down though.

Same here, I can use Cruise Control and the Speed limiter without taking my hand off the steering wheel or my eyes off the road, I use the function so much, setting and disengaging is an automatic thing, I don't need to think about it. Most of the problems highlighted in this thread are down to bad driving and peoples inability to use cruise control properly, not cruise control it's self.

photome

alastairq wrote: »

Quite simple really.

For conventional driving, the first, and quickest, response is simply to lift one's foot off the gas.

To disengage cruise control by utilising a button, or switch, or somesuch, is essentially an alien action in driving terms.

Eye-to-foot, or, eye to finding a switch?


However, you lot crack on with it....obviously your skills of anticipation are far greater than mine....

Worries me that some people are on the road.
The button is under my finger and takes a nano second to disengage, I dont have to "find" it

My foot wont be on the gas and "eye to foot" what does that mean, do you have to look for your brake pedal?

CC is simple and effective if used correctly

alastairq

photome wrote: »

Worries me that some people are on the road.
The button is under my finger and takes a nano second to disengage, I dont have to "find" it

My foot wont be on the gas and "eye to foot" what does that mean, do you have to look for your brake pedal?

CC is simple and effective if used correctly

Worries me that too many drivers don't have a real understanding of control on a vehicle.

So..you have a 'button'! Whooptidoo! Other have a lever, or some other sort of switch. So what?


Since drivers don't drive everywhere on cruise control, the most basic of control actions...the one we all should be doing first...when identifying a problem, is to lift one's foot off the accelerator.

A simple 'eye-to-foot' response.....even for the most basic of drivers , it is an instinctive response....the first step in controlling the speed of the vehicle......when a problem is identified.

SWitches, levers, buttons, require a less-than-instinctive response to use.

Hence why so many actually have an issue when on cruise control?

But then, obviously this is an acceptable situation by some?

You obviously don't recognise these issues...again, whooptidoo, you have 'learnt' to cope admirably with the control situation....

Which doesn't mean the issues I've hilited don't exist.

But to me, this all begs the question....what else do too many drivers not recognise when driving?

photome

alastairq wrote: »

Worries me that too many drivers don't have a real understanding of control on a vehicle.

So..you have a 'button'! Whooptidoo! Other have a lever, or some other sort of switch. So what?


Since drivers don't drive everywhere on cruise control, the most basic of control actions...the one we all should be doing first...when identifying a problem, is to lift one's foot off the accelerator.

A simple 'eye-to-foot' response.....even for the most basic of drivers , it is an instinctive response....the first step in controlling the speed of the vehicle......when a problem is identified.

SWitches, levers, buttons, require a less-than-instinctive response to use.

Hence why so many actually have an issue when on cruise control?

But then, obviously this is an acceptable situation by some?

You obviously don't recognise these issues...again, whooptidoo, you have 'learnt' to cope admirably with the control situation....

Which doesn't mean the issues I've hilited don't exist.

But to me, this all begs the question....what else do too many drivers not recognise when driving?

Are you refering to yourself?

I have complete control, if you dont understand how to use CC then you clearly dont have complete control and your earlier post with this one where you keep digging, suggests you dont.

Thats fine, just dont use it.

Dont try to tell people who can use it properly and safely that they cant have complete control

I give up trying to explain though as you still insist that taking your foot off the gas is the first thing you must do, many people have tried to explain to you how you do that when using CC

Bongles

alastairq wrote: »

Worries me that too many drivers don't have a real understanding of control on a vehicle.

This all seems hugely overcomplicated. Cruise control is just a device that simplifies the task of maintaining a constant speed. Why would anyone think of turning it on when traffic conditions aren't amenable to maintaining constant speed? If they are amenable, how often does that change so suddenly that you don't have time to smoothly disengage CC and start driving with your feet again? I'd suggest never (unless you're not paying attention, in which case the problem isn't with CC).

alastairq

Bongles wrote: »

This all seems hugely overcomplicated. Cruise control is just a device that simplifies the task of maintaining a constant speed. Why would anyone think of turning it on when traffic conditions aren't amenable to maintaining constant speed? If they are amenable, how often does that change so suddenly that you don't have time to smoothly disengage CC and start driving with your feet again? I'd suggest never (unless you're not paying attention, in which case the problem isn't with CC).

Exactly...I'm not being critical of cruise control.[although some [many?] forms of cruise control can be a little less than user friendly?]....I expect many people who make use of the facility, do so at the appropriate time.

But, in my [observation, as an assessor].....experience, many make use of cruise control in what turns out to be an inappropriate situation.

I am pointing out, however, what cruise control does not permit. If this factor is taken into account by a driver, then whoopee!

But, often it is not.

The OP, as an example, had an issue coping with the actions

of another road user. It's entirely possible the fact that cruise control was in use, lost the OP that vital fraction of a second's response time?

Fractions of a second are important. The vehicle is covering ground all the while.

Sometimes, too much ground before a positive response is seen?

Then, folk have real issues coping ?

It is easy to forget how much we alter or adjust the gas pedal when driving [not on cruise control],simply in response to what we see.

Cruise control doesn't do that.

If it could, then some of you would be even happier?

~Chameleon~

alastairq wrote: »

It is easy to forget how much we alter or adjust the gas pedal when driving [not on cruise control],simply in response to what we see.

Cruise control doesn't do that.

If it could, then some of you would be even happier?

Of course it can! That's what the speed limiter is for and reacts exactly the same as taking your foot off the gas!

matttye

alastairq wrote: »

Exactly...I'm not being critical of cruise control.[although some [many?] forms of cruise control can be a little less than user friendly?]....I expect many people who make use of the facility, do so at the appropriate time.

But, in my [observation, as an assessor].....experience, many make use of cruise control in what turns out to be an inappropriate situation.

I am pointing out, however, what cruise control does not permit. If this factor is taken into account by a driver, then whoopee!

But, often it is not.

The OP, as an example, had an issue coping with the actions

of another road user. It's entirely possible the fact that cruise control was in use, lost the OP that vital fraction of a second's response time?

Fractions of a second are important. The vehicle is covering ground all the while.

Sometimes, too much ground before a positive response is seen?

Then, folk have real issues coping ?

It is easy to forget how much we alter or adjust the gas pedal when driving [not on cruise control],simply in response to what we see.

Cruise control doesn't do that.

If it could, then some of you would be even happier?

I don't know about everyone's cruise control implementations, but mine has +/- buttons for increasing or decreasing speed on the steering wheel, i.e. the same effect as taking foot off the gas or pushing down on the gas.

If speed needs to decrease dramatically then I'll brake, like I usually would.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm still fairly young, but it's taken me no time at all to get used to using cruise control. I've only had my new car for a month and no prior experience of using it. It's dead simple and intuitive to use.

~Chameleon~

matttye wrote: »

I don't know about everyone's cruise control implementations, but mine has +/- buttons for increasing or decreasing speed on the steering wheel, i.e. the same effect as taking foot off the gas or pushing down on the gas.

If speed needs to decrease dramatically then I'll brake, like I usually would.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm still fairly young, but it's taken me no time at all to get used to using cruise control. I've only had my new car for a month and no prior experience of using it. It's dead simple and intuitive to use.

I don't think it's an age thing at all. I'm a woman in her late forties and only got my new car a few months ago but have had no problem adapting to using cruise control. Mine works in exactly the same way as yours. My son has an older car and his works the same too.

matttye

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I don't think it's an age thing at all. I'm a woman in her late forties and only got my new car a few months ago but have had no problem adapting to using cruise control. Mine works in exactly the same way as yours. My son has an older car and his works the same too.

My older work colleagues often say they're too old to learn new things, but I think it's more to do with them being technology avoiders and set in their ways than their age actually preventing them from learning new things. That's mainly where my comment came from, I wasn't suggesting age is an inhibitor.