What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?

The coolest technologies for today’s luxury cars often become features of mainstream cars tomorrow.

Take cruise control as an example; Today almost every new car has it, with the exception of specialized performance models and basic trims of entry-level cars. But what is adaptive cruise control? And is it worth it?

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is a system designed to help vehicles maintain a safe following distance and stay within the speed limit. This system adjusts a car’s speed automatically so drivers don’t have to.

Adaptive cruise control is one of 20 terms used to describe its functions so that you might see adaptive cruise control as the following in advertisements and vehicle descriptions:

• Active cruise control
• Dynamic cruise control
• Radar cruise control
• Automatic cruise control
• Intelligent cruise control

ACC functions by sensory technology installed within vehicles such as cameras, lasers, and radar equipment, which creates an idea of how close one car is to another, or other objects on the roadway. For this reason, ACC is the basis for future car intelligence.

These sensory technologies allow the car to detect and warn the driver about potential forward collisions.

When this happens, red lights begin to flash, and the phrase ‘brake now!’ appears on the dashboard to help the driver slow down. There might also be an audible warning.

Related: What is Cruise Control?

How to Use It?

The specific controls will be different depending on your particular car type, but usually you will have to start by setting a cruising speed and following distance to the car ahead.

Activation/Deactivation

Most systems are operated by controls on the steering wheel. You can also intervene at any time by use of the brake or accelerator pedal.

Setting the speed

You can set the speed using the +/- speed button. You can also accelerate as normal until the desired speed is reached. Then you press a button to have the ACC “remember” the speed. Most ACC systems will work down to about 25 MPH.

Setting the distance

ACC systems allow you to set a following distance, or time interval, between your car and the car ahead. ACC systems provide various car-to-car distance options, such as: short, medium, or long distance.

You can change the setting at any time as traffic conditions change. A longer setting is recommended for most driving.

How does adaptive cruise control work?

Like standard cruise control systems, ACC keeps your car at the speed you set, as long as there is nothing in front of you. A sensor unit is added to determine the distance between your car and other cars in front you.

Speed and distance sensors. ACC uses information from two sensors: a distance sensor that monitors the gap to the car ahead and a speed sensor that automatically accelerates and decelerates your car. ACC uses information from these sensors to adjust your speed and maintain the set distance from the car in front of you.

Looking under the hood: Radar-based systems. Let’s take a look at one ACC technology: radar-based ACC. Some ACC systems send radar waves that reflect off objects in front of your car. Based on the radar reflection, ACC uses distance, direction and relative speed to detect if the car is within the distance you set. ACC predicts the path of your car and then decides whether any of the vehicles ahead are within your set distance.

What are the types of adaptive cruise control?

There are two main types of adaptive cruise controls: laser-based systems and radar-based systems.

Whichever system your car uses, the basic functionality remains the same, with radar or lasers constantly scanning the road ahead for obstacles.

Some cars have two radars or lasers: one to cover obstacles near the vehicle and one to cover further distances of up to around 200m.

1. Radar-Based Systems

Radar-based systems work by placing radar-based sensors on or around plastic trim to detect your vehicle’s surroundings.

Each radar sensor works together to create a comprehensive picture of the vehicle’s proximity to other cars or potentially dangerous objects. This type of sensor can look different depending on the design and model of the car.

2. Laser-Based Systems

This type of ACC system operates from a large black box, typically placed in your vehicle’s front grille. It uses laser technology to detect the proximity of objects to your car. It doesn’t work well in rainstorms and other weather conditions.

3. Binocular Computer Vision Systems (Optical)

This is a relatively new ACC system that started operating in 2013. It uses small cameras mounted on the back of a vehicle’s rearview mirror to detect forward-facing objects.

4. Assisting Systems

Assistance systems are radar-based add-ons that customers can buy together. These pre-crash systems can provide lane control, brake assist, cruise control, proximity alerts to objects such as corners, and steering power.

5. Multi-Sensor Systems

Adaptive cruise control systems sometimes integrate more than one type of sensor to aid in the operation of a vehicle. Multi-sensor systems include several different types of sensors to provide enhanced information to a driver.

These sensors may include GPS data devices or cameras to gather information about a vehicle’s geographic surroundings and proximity to other cars.

6. Predictive Systems

Prediction systems are a type of ACC that uses sensory data to predict the actions of nearby vehicles. This means your car may slow down to prepare for another vehicle suddenly changing lanes, thereby promoting passenger safety.

How Much Does an Adaptive Cruise Control System Cost?

The cost of an adaptive cruise control system will vary depending on how many features you want. If you’re going to have an ACC with all available features, you should be willing to pay anywhere between $2000 and $2500.

If you are looking for minimal cruise control that would benefit speeds of up to 20-25 miles per hour, these more basic ACCs can cost as low as $500. The good news is that as ACC becomes more common, it will most likely reduce in price.

Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It?

If your commute is long and you think you can learn to trust technology (while always being alert and ready to take over immediately when needed), adaptive cruise control could be a very worthwhile upgrade.

Leaving the car on the accelerator and brakes for most of your commute home from work can greatly reduce the stress associated with driving.

However, if a system is equipped with driving logic that bites the brake too hard when stopping, or allows too much clearance in the tightest setting, you may find that for the rest of the time you only use the technology once and never again own car

Advantages of Adaptive Cruise Control

Adaptive cruise control systems offer multiple benefits, including:

• Lower chances of collisions through speed control and increased spaces
• Less stress for drivers while driving
• Improved comfort while driving, particularly for persons with disabilities
• Easier commutes, particularly for systems that include stop-and-go features

In addition to these general benefits, a study conducted in 2020 on the effects of automation on driver engagement found that in some cases, especially in women, drivers’ minds wander less while using cruise control.

Disadvantages of Adaptive Cruise Control

Despite the many benefits of using adaptive cruise control, there are some downsides to chronically relying on the safety feature, including:

• Developing negative driving habits (such as higher driving speeds and aggressive braking)
• Potentially experiencing ill-time or improperly distanced stops
• Delayed braking times while the system is active
• Poor system performance during heavy rain, fog, or snow

Drivers who are well-versed in the capabilities and limits of their vehicle’s ACC system may be better prepared to handle these situations while driving, thus lowering their chances of being involved in a collision.

FAQs.