Cruise control has been around for a long time as a simple system of being able to set the speed you want your vehicle to travel. Using this system has given us the ability to take our foot of the pedals and let the vehicle travel at that constant speed. This does make for more efficient driving than would be the case without it, but regular cruise control is by no means an autonomous feature. The new advancements in cruise control to bring us adaptive cruise control are however steps toward us having autonomous vehicles to drive. Here is how adaptive cruise control works for intelligent new vehicles like the new Toyota RAV4 and why it’s better than the older version.

Set it and Forget it – With your typical cruise control you set the speed and then have to make sure you watch for other vehicles and adjust as needed. This makes for frustrating driving on highways when someone in your lane isn’t going the speed you would like and you continually have to adjust your cruise setting. With adaptive cruise control you set the maximum speed you want the vehicle to drive and the distance you want to maintain and the car does the rest. This system is able to adjust to the slower speeds for you so you don’t have to continually change your own settings.

Radar in Use – The reason adaptive cruise control can adjust the speed of the vehicle and maintain the follow distance for you is because of the radar that’s in use. In some vehicles this radar is assisted with lasers, but these items detect the distance between vehicles and look for a vehicle in your lane as much as 600 feet in front of you. This allows your car to have plenty of time to make adjustments and follow at a safe speed without your input.

Constant Motion – The radar system is constantly working and scanning to see if vehicles are in your path. The system calculates the distance several times a second to ensure your vehicle can slow down to a safe speed to follow if needed. These systems have now become so advanced that some of them even have the ability to stop at a light for you if the vehicles in front of you are stopped as well. With a smart system like this one you know you have a great driving aid that will let you relax your feet and give you the best fuel efficiency possible.

Avoiding Accidents – One of the biggest benefits to a system that scans around your vehicle and keeps you at a safe follow distance from the rest is the fact that you can avoid accidents more easily. When a car is equipped with adaptive cruise control there is typically a host of other items that help to keep you in your lane and safe from harm as well. Now we’re seeing automakers put automatic emergency braking into vehicles and with advanced radar systems, this will soon be a standard feature in all vehicles along with adaptive cruise control. The more the systems of your vehicle can do the driving for you, the safer you should be; at least that’s the logic for autonomous driving, which is certainly next on the list.