What does cruise mean in a car

You hit a switch to activate it and set your required speed, then the car takes control of the accelerator and adjusts the power input automatically to maintain that speed.

It will also sense when you're going up hills and deliver more power when necessary. So you'll get something of a rest when you're just cruising along the motorway.

It also takes away the temptation to speed - assuming you set it at the speed limit - and means you can sit back with confidence without having to worry about hidden speed cameras. You'll still need to brake and steer though; cars aren't clever enough to do all that just yet.

Cruise control was revolutionary when it was first introduced all the way back in by American car manufacturer Chrysler. It now features on the majority of new cars currently on sale and plenty of used cars too. More advanced systems such as adaptive cruise control have been introduced, too. This, on top of standard cruise control, uses sensors to detect vehicles ahead and if you come across a slower moving vehicle your car will reduce its speed or even begin to apply the brakes to maintain a safe distance.

The very latest systems are able to slow the car down to a stop, but emergency braking is still required by the driver when needed. It's a very popular development in general, but some drivers remain nervous about leaving the car to do part of the work. If you're interested in finding yourself a used car with cruise control though, you can head over to our BuyaCar search page to get started.

If you'd like to know more, we've got all the details on how it works right here. Cancel Not the off switch but a button that just pauses the system, if you get stuck behind a slower car, for example. Touching the brake pedal does the same thing. The cruise control system used in older cars is connected to the accelerator through a cable to maintain the gas pedal in a certain position to keep the pre-set speed. Whereas the system in newer cars electronically manages the speed through a program without a cable.

Instead, a computer connected with various sensors and throttle controls operates the feature through a wireless system. This newer technology can automatically adjust the speed based on how fast the vehicle ahead is going while maintaining a safe distance.

Drivers will find the system particularly useful on highways or roads with traffic jams during rush hour. Adaptive cruise control is an advanced version of the existing cruise control system. With the conventional system, the vehicle cruises at the speed previously set by the driver without the need to keep pressing the accelerator pedal.

On the other hand, the adaptive cruise control system does the same; however, it can also calculate the speed of the car ahead of you by using the data from radar sensors and automatically adjust the speed of your vehicle to keep a safe following distance between the vehicles. Many drivers prefer to drive a vehicle that has cruise control installed because of its convenience. If you are a commuter, cruise control will allow you to drive at a constant speed. Cruise control is designed to be used on roadways without frequent stops, turns, or required driving maneuvers.

First, evaluate the driving conditions on the interstate. Cruise control is not designed to be used in hazardous weather conditions. Check for any oncoming obstacles before applying cruise control, particularly if it is your first time to use the system. Using cruise control in such weather conditions would be a bad call even if the road seems empty 2 Build your speed.

If driving on an interstate, the speed limit is generally between 55 and 70 miles per hour. This speed range is ideal for cruise control. This is both dangerous and unwise.