Cruise control

A cruise control system (CCS ), also known as Cruise Control ( trademark of Daimler AG) or cruise control, is a device in motor vehicles, which automatically regulates the speed so that the vehicle complies with a predetermined speed by the driver if possible.

Operation

The control takes place in modern vehicles usually electronically; earlier mainly mechanical / pneumatic systems were common. This depends on whether the vehicle electronic throttle ( accelerator pedal pulses are transmitted electrically from the throttle, drive- by-wire) or has a Bowden cable between throttle or accelerator pedal and throttle. When pressed by hand or foot brake or the clutch ( in some vehicles with manual transmission ), the control is disabled.

Additional function speed limit

Unlike summer tires, it is also allowed for winter tires, notwithstanding use of the required environmental information of the vehicle registration certificate tires with a lower speed rating. In many vehicles with cruise control it is possible to activate a permanent speed limit of this.

In addition, can often be set a temporary speed limit that can be by the driver at any time via the cruise control on and off. The speed limit prevents the exceeding of a limit set by the driver, eg 50 km / h in built-up areas.

Pros and Cons

A cruise control system proves to be particularly useful on highways and roads with speed limits. It leads to a more comfortable driving.

Impact on fuel consumption are determined according to information from vehicle manufacturers no. However, this applies only to the technical part of the controller. A change in the speed through the use of cruise control results in very fact that a man can keep the speed not so accurate at a constant level as the automatic control.

For physical reasons, the fuel consumption when driving with cruise control to a drive is lower at the same average speed without using the cruise control. Reason for this is that when manually driving the speed is even with very experienced drivers over time and once in the average speed. However, the energy consumption to overcome the air resistance increases with the square of speed. The route shares at speeds above the average speed lead to greater fuel consumption than in the route shares with below average speed is saved. The same is true for the acceleration: this yields a more consumption, which (as opposed to electric) can not be regenerated during the transition to slower ride.

The use of cruise control changed the driving towards a uniform style of driving. The precise impact on fuel consumption are not definitively resolved, although the EU has initiated this investigation.

Partial is suspected as a disadvantage that the accident risk may be increased by reduced alertness of the driver. However, various studies on this topic do not confirm that. The Federal Highway Research Institute evaluated the impact of the cruise control positive.

Technical Development

Were speed control systems in automobiles for the first time in 1958 used as Cruise Control at Chrysler, in Europe for the first time in 1962 at Mercedes -Benz.

The first systems appeared only on the accelerator. A further development consists of the active braking of the vehicle in downhill operation. In this case a lower automatic transmission gear is selected, in order to use engine braking. Especially with manual transmissions, but also in automatic transmissions, a gentle deceleration with the service brake can be introduced in modern systems by the cruise control system.

A modern variant is the distance-dependent Adaptive Cruise Control, also called adaptive cruise control.

Legal Aspects

In Belgium, the use of the cruise control is loud signs on some sections of motorway in the vicinity of large cities, such as Antwerp, prohibited ( crossed out " Cruise Control " sign). However, it is questionable whether and how the Belgian police can check the ban.