Cruise Control - What's the Point?

[thehelmsman]

upSo, one thread was talking about how cruise control was an issue with buying a new vehicle which triggered one of my pet peeves. In the states you're in the fast lane and always a numnuts in front going just a tad over speed limit but not fast enough for fast lane. Why? because he's to <deleted> lazy to keep his foot on the gas pedal and drive in next lane.

 

I've been driving for many years and could never see the upside to cruise control, never use it. My thought is if you're too <deleted> lazy to keep your foot on a pedal you have no business driving. You loose the feel for what's going on around you.

 

In Thailand it's even more idiotic to use it. Upcountry, it's totally useless and on tollroads its equally dangerous because you're driving so much faster, and you loose focus with cruise control.

 

Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel..........

 

 

[giddyup]

Never used mine once in the 3 years I've had the pickup.

[ben2talk]

37 minutes ago, thehelmsman said:

In the states you're in the fast lane and always a numnuts in front going just a tad over speed limit but not fast enough for fast lane.

You're saying that in the USA you must drive over the speed limit?

'a tad over the speed limit' isn't fast enough to qualify for an overtaking manoeuvre? 

 

I'm looking forward to the day when vehicles will have built in speed controls to stop idiots thinking that they're so clever and skilled as drivers that people driving at speed limits become mere annoyances.

 

Cruising speed limits are about limiting excessive fuel consumption and improving safety. Safety on highways comes from people all travelling in the same direction AT SIMILAR SPEEDS. 

 

Americans complaining like this aren't going to win any friends - they're famous for being fat gas guzzling fools at the best of times. They still think that getting over 10km/L is good efficiency.

 

Maybe language is a problem for you. If a road has 3 lanes, the extra lanes are actually supposed to be called 'overtaking lanes' and to call them 'fast lane' is a problem that leads stupid people to believe they're supposed to go fast.

Edited July 21, 2017 by ben2talk

[pgrahmm]

Have had it on a few cars.....Used it very little....Didn't want get lazy or distracted by not using it, and sometimes I didn't really know the roads well enough....

Sometimes good for driving long straight stretches of wide US interstates - something we don't have here....

[Kinnock]

I had to check if my car even has it ....... and it does.  Never used it.  In Thailand, there's nowhere you can hold a steady speed for more than 10 seconds.

[Rancid]

Have used it here if on a road that has speed cameras just to make sure don't cop a fine. Some stretches it works out OK as a break for the foot, in heavier traffic pretty useless.

[reenatinnakor]

There is no such thing as a fast lane...There's an overtaking lane after which you should move back to the inside lane. Learn the rules!

I like cruise control, esp when on a long straight road like the I5 sfo to LA... Your feet needs a rest. In thailand don't need so much.

[Jai Dee]

I prefer to use the speed limiter... that way I don't attract unwanted attention from the speed cameras yet still have the ability to change my speed according to the traffic conditions around me.

 

Cruise control is pretty much useless here in Thailand.

[Patong2]

Agree Thailand traffic it is much too chaotic.

 

Do 8 - 10 thousand miles in the US each year and most on cruise control (relax, I keep out of the overtaking lane unless I am overtaking)

8000km in Germany last year much on cruise control.

 

As visitor to a country I try to obey speed laws and not interfere with the locals (especially those crazies on the Autobahn which overtook me when I was doing 160km and whizzed past at at least 80 - 100kph faster than me.

[shady86]

Cruise control is already obsolete. Adaptive cruise control who detects vehicle in front, slow down and speed up according to traffic flow is what you should look for.

[canuckamuck]

As a college age lad, I had a lot of trouble keeping my speed down. I was always at the verge of losing my license. Fortunately my next door neighbor was the staff sergeant for the city's RCMP.

He took care of a ticket for me but he said, I am not going to do this again, you need to learn to use the cruise control.

That was in the 90's and I barely have gotten any tickets since.

Of course the roads where we lived were long and straight and perfect for cruise control.

 

 

[kkerry]

I love cruise control but never use it in Thailand as keeping a constant speed with so many random events going on around you as you drive doesn't feel safe.

 

In the USA and Australia I use it on the highways outside big cities all the time. In any new car it is so easy to drift 20kph over the posted limit. With so many speed cameras you end up getting snapped sooner or later, and fines in Australia are expensive. When travelling long distances even with an automatic, I find myself feeling less tired when I have cruise control on. Longest I've driven in a day was 1400km and I I couldn't have driven as far without it.

[fredob43]

Unlike most of you I changed my lump to one that had C/C.

Do I use it? all the time. I live off the AR 1/32 drive on that most days. Great on long journeys.

 

Must say that I never use it around BKK. Well saying that I do use it on the 9 AR and on expressways. Reason I have been done for speeding twice on Both. Since I have use it on those roads never had a ticket.

[Dipterocarp]

I never used it much. Some people find holding  foot on the gas pedal for long periods 

uncomfortable. Maybe they are the same ones who find seat belts uncomfortable? 

Never understood that, maybe because I'm not a lard ass with a huge belly.

[transam]

19 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

Unlike most of you I changed my lump to one that had C/C.

Do I use it? all the time. I live off the AR 1/32 drive on that most days. Great on long journeys.

 

Must say that I never use it around BKK. Well saying that I do use it on the 9 AR and on expressways. Reason I have been done for speeding twice on Both. Since I have use it on those roads never had a ticket.

Then you should have kept your head in gear perhaps...

[NanLaew]

Never had a speeding ticket in LOS since I bough a truck with cruise control and used it. At first I thought it would be impractical for all the previously stated reasons but it certainly eliminates the old 'accelerator creep' on the longer, straighter, totally boring bits that the traffic cops like to populate.

[JAS21]

Use it a lot ... quite often drive on it ... + and - ... of course I don't need to see what is on the back seat of the car in front.

[Ace of Pop]

My CC button has a direct line to Murphys Law .One touch and someone brakes ,or pulls out.[emoji233][emoji468]?‍♀️


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[madmax2]

Very handy to have when driving on the outback north/west roads in Australia, long stretches of road that disappear into the distance with no bends, speed limit is 110 kph which is easy to exceed without realizing it until a mobile speed camera catches you, and they are very strict about obeying the speed limit

 

Useless in Thailand even on the main highways, speed limit is 90 kph on most roads which no one obeys, i usually travel at between 90 to 110 kph so i can mainly drive in the centre lane which is in better condition 90% of the time, still have to pull over regularly to the outside lane to allow people driving at up to 180 kph to pass on the centre lane

Have not used cruise control ever in my 12 years of driving in Thailand and probably never will

Back up and dash cams are a far better accessory but not all vehicles have them which are equipped with cruise control  

[khunano]

I use it regularly when driving on highways and if traffic is not too dense. I set it at around 110-120 km/h and if I see an obstacle coming up in front I de-engage cruise control with the respective button, once the road ahead is clear again I push another button that accelerates the car back up to the originally set cruise speed. Doing so, I don't have to use the break and throttle pedals much anymore.

[alien365]

In the UK its a big advantage with the average-speed  speed cameras. I was driving along the m62 and m60 a couple of weeks ago where there are loads of average speed cameras around roadworks set at 50mph. Once the cruise control is on I can look at the road rather than constantly checking if I am doing 1 or 2 mph over. In Thailand I can't see when I would ever use it though.

[baker]

As another poster mentioned, Adaptive Cruise Control is the key.

 

I had a car with cruise control, which I tried a couple of time (the cruise control that is), but found out I still had keep my foot ready to break, so only more stress using that here in Thailand.

 

The last 4 years my car have City Safety, blind spot warning and of course adaptive cruise control. And I was a bit tentative at first with the adaptive cruise control. Had to check if it actually worked. And after I saw the proof and felt it actually worked well, I have started using it on longer drives.

The longest time I have driven without touching the pedals is somewhere between 30 to 60 minutes here in Thailand. It goes all the way to full stop, if the cars in front of you is stopping. And if a car is cutting in front of you, the acc will break and keep a safe distance to the car in front (and you can adjust the distance you feel safe with)

I only use it on Highways where the oncoming traffic is separated. Dual carriageway is a no go for acc for me. 

 

So my conclusion is:

• Cruise Control: Useless here in Thailand
• Adaptive Cruise Control: Great!

 

 

[tifino]

.

the cost of a cruise control installation kit used to be pretty much the same as a speeding ticket

 

so it became sort of one upfront prepayment of the traffic ticket that you are no now longer going to get

[Classic Ray]

Cruise control not much use in Thailand as there is no traffic separation between heavy vehicles, cars and motorbikes, no lane discipline so random vehicles enter and block your path without signalling, and too many unofficial entries and exits even on the fast highways.

 

I used it extensively on visits to the States and when driving on motorways in the UK on less busy stretches, but can't ever imagine using it in this country.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

Cruise control not much use in Thailand as there is no traffic separation between heavy vehicles, cars and motorbikes, no lane discipline so random vehicles enter and block your path without signalling, and too many unofficial entries and exits even on the fast highways.

 

I used it extensively on visits to the States and when driving on motorways in the UK on less busy stretches, but can't ever imagine using it in this country.

Absolutely correct....

[Ace of Pop]

Absolutely correct....

And the fines are so small here and no points system , in Ozz n USA they are essential on long runs.?


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[Techno Viking]

I find the cruise control to be very handy at speeding ticket avoidance on the 7 motorway.

[inThailand]

One of the reasons cruise control is relatively new here is marketing research revealed Somchai thought it was a snooze button and would head back off the sleep.

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, khunano said:

I use it regularly when driving on highways and if traffic is not too dense. I set it at around 110-120 km/h and if I see an obstacle coming up in front I de-engage cruise control with the respective button, once the road ahead is clear again I push another button that accelerates the car back up to the originally set cruise speed. Doing so, I don't have to use the break and throttle pedals much anymore.

That's exactly how I use it; no braking and no accelerating by foot in most cases.  I use it mainly on long hauls cross country on 2-lane divided highways but I doubt it will work in Bangkok's multi-lane, shoot-the-gap ring-road mayhem. The ones that are driving like a local, not observing far enough ahead and constantly jumping on the pedals and canceling cruise are probably the ones who say it is impractical. 

[MINIMIGLIA]

cruise control is great and I use it every day here, also helps with fuel consumption no end, my Pajero Sport often shows 5.6 litres to 100 kms on the dash read out .