Cruise Control warning

[Pahaska]

Today, I was allowing the cruise control to bring me to a safe stop in a line of stopped cars at a traffic light. My car was stopping very nicely when the car ahead changed his mind and darted right into a turn lane. Almost before I could react, my car accelerated strongly with less than two cars distance between me and the next car ahead in my lane.

There is a definite delay between the CC deciding that the car ahead is no longer a danger and then locking on to the next car ahead. It was during this delay that my car accelerated.

I was barely able to get on the brake and got stopped 6" or less from the bumper of the car ahead. I don't know whether the auto-braking would have save me, but it never alarmed.

From now on, I'll be a bit more prepared to take over.

 

[genesis@genesisworld.com]

Thanks John. I've been tempted to do the same. I can see how the CC got confused.

 

[Onuriss]

Another warning on the cruise control... I was cruising nicely behind a car, had the cruise control set to 70 and came up on someone doing 65. Unfortunately for mw passenger, who was drinking at the time, when the person in front of us pulled over, the cruise control accelerated quickly to make up the speed gap. My passenger ended up getting a mouth and face full of their water.

In my opinion, the cruise control's acceleration to bring you back up to a set speed is a bit on the aggressive side.

 

[PMCErnie]

I dunno, I haven't read the manual, but I doubt that this system was ever intended to be anything other than an emergency stop feature. To utilize it routinely as the primary stopping method would seem to be unwise. Seems a bit like playing Russian roulette.

 

[XBOHDPuKC]

A question to both OP and Onuriss - what was your distance setting?

 

[Onuriss]

I was set at the maximum - 4 lengths. That probably makes a difference, come to think of it, since the gap would be large once the vehicle left the lane in front of me.

 

[italiabrain]

I dunno, I haven't read the manual, but I doubt that this system was ever intended to be anything other than an emergency stop feature. To utilize it routinely as the primary stopping method would seem to be unwise. Seems a bit like playing Russian roulette.

Two separate features being discussed. The smart cruise is supposed to be stop-and-go in addition to the AEB for emergencies.

 

[Midnightsun]

I have never had this issue and I am a cruise fanatic. I always use the minimum setting though and even this is too far for my liking. I find the acceleration when a car clears to be quite slow in fact and no where near quickly as described and I do have the V8. Here where I drive a max setting is so far that I would be constantly cut off so to say, even the min setting has more than enough room for others to squeeze in which does cause some good self braking by the way.

 

[Pahaska]

My distance setting was max as we were on a rural 4-lane. When the car ahead suddenly left my lane we were stopping for the light and the CC had moved up quite close to the car ahead, maybe 15 feet. We were going fairly slow at that point. It felt like close to full throttle for a few seconds and that was way too much given the gap between me and the next car ahead.

When the car ahead had about 3/4 cleared my lane, that was when the CC lost him and accelerated. When he turned, he stepped on it pretty hard since he had an open lane to move into.

I always use max outside the city. I never use the min setting, although I do use the medium setting on the freeway in the city.

 

[SH66]

Why should it be programmed to accelerate quickly? Seems like a slower default would be safer. For instance if set for 4 car lengths, the car in front changes lanes, you are now at 5 car lengths, why not close that one car length slowly. Seems it would be safer and better on gas consumption.

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[FlySwatter]

Why should it be programmed to accelerate quickly? Seems like a slower default would be safer. For instance if set for 4 car lengths, the car in front changes lanes, you are now at 5 car lengths, why not close that one car length slowly. Seems it would be safer and better on gas consumption.

Agreed, and I wouldn't be too surprised if a TSB arises to address this if there are enough reports of unsafe accelerations, and especially if collisions are tied to this behavior.

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

According to the OM, SCC does NOT recognize stopped cars. So yeah, the OP would've plowed into those cars in front of him after the moving vehicle cleared the lane. If all cars in front were moving but coming to a stop, then the SCC would've slowed and eventually stopped too.
Or did I misread the OP?

 

[Pahaska]

According to the OM, SCC does NOT recognize stopped cars. So yeah, the OP would've plowed into those cars in front of him after the moving vehicle cleared the lane. If all cars in front were moving but coming to a stop, then the SCC would've slowed and eventually stopped too.
Or did I misread the OP?

The 2nd car ahead was still moving, but very slowly. The emergency braking should have saved me, but it seemed to take too long to break lock on the turning car and transfer lock to the car ahead of it. That delay was where the acceleration occurred. The emergency braking never alarmed, probably because I hit the brake just before it would have actuated. I'll never know whether it could have stopped me on time, but I doubt it.

 

[SH66]

Do you think regular old cruise control would be safer? Too bad, if the SCC puts you in a higher level of danger instead of safety. I agree with David, perhaps this can all be corrected with updates to software.

 

[DFWGenny]

I did not buy the Tech package, but even if I had SCC, I would not trust it in that type of situation. Driving on the North Dallas Speedway ..er.. Tollway during rush hour is not for the feint of heart. I would not trust Cruise Control smart or otherwise at 70+ going bumper to bumper. If you open up 3/4's of a car length in front of you, someone is going to slide in. If you want to leave a large space in front of you, people are going to moving in and out as you have stated.

I look a SCC when out on the open highway and you come up on a slower car and you can't move into the passing lane.

I don't think that they can account for all the variables and if you have an accident, I'm pretty sure that they will say that you shouldn't have been using Cruise Control in that situation. Stop and go driving is NOT cruising.

 

[Nikgen]

I did not buy the Tech package, but even if I had SCC, I would not trust it in that type of situation. Driving on the North Dallas Speedway ..er.. Tollway during rush hour is not for the feint of heart. I would not trust Cruise Control smart or otherwise at 70+ going bumper to bumper. If you open up 3/4's of a car length in front of you, someone is going to slide in. If you want to leave a large space in front of you, people are going to moving in and out as you have stated.

I look a SCC when out on the open highway and you come up on a slower car and you can't move into the passing lane.

I don't think that they can account for all the variables and if you have an accident, I'm pretty sure that they will say that you shouldn't have been using Cruise Control in that situation. Stop and go driving is NOT cruising.

Completely agree with this assessment - I would never use/trust in bumper to bumper traffic - but great on the highway where you encounter slow movers that you can't always pass...

 

[Pahaska]

OP
In my case, there were two traffic lights in about 10 miles of divided 4-lane with light to medium traffic that I drive most days. Up until my incident, the SCC operation was flawless and I never had to cancel the SCC unless I happened to be first at a red light. Seems to me this precisely what the SCC is intended for.

My only concern was to warn folks that the sudden departure of the car ahead during a SCC stopping condition can require quick action on the part of the driver due to the delay in transferring control from the car leaving the lane to the next car ahead. This is the same delay that I see from when I turn on the SCC and it takes a little time before the car ahead shows up in the HUD. From now on, I will be more alert and ready to brake if needed.

 

[Nikgen]

OP
be more alert and ready to brake if needed.

SCC or not - this should always be the case. These things are all driving assists - not replacements and subject to limitations and failures!

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

SCC or not - this should always be the case. These things are all driving assists - not replacements and subject to limitations and failures!

Yep. Exactly what the OM says.