Cruise Control — do people really use it?

[Anonymous]

I’ve had long commutes many times in my life, and I just had to complete a 10 hour drive in one day.

Not once have I used cruise control, not even to the point of wishing I had it?! I can see value in self driving where I go read, work, or nap (especially if it’s late and I’m tired) but driving esp highway driving is so easy I don’t see why everyone is excited for them. The worst is FSD lite, where you don’t need the driver except in that split second of panic, how in the world is that more restful?

[Anonymous]

I've never been a big cruise control user, but I think that's because I'm still relatively young, and holding my foot in a particular position is not that taxing. I could see for some people why that wouldn't be the case.

My newer car (like just about all new cars now) has cruise control that maintains a set distance from the car in front of you, and that is a big improvement. I still don't use it very often, though.

[Anonymous]

I used it when my job required extensive highway driving. Cruise control allowed me to stretch my leg, rotate my foot, and do things with both lower legs and feet (carefully, natch) that kept all my joints from totally seizing up from all the hours with my foot on the gas pedal.

[Anonymous]

I use it all the time. New cars have smart cruise control which breaks for you if the car in front of you is slowing down and also keeps a safe distance from the car in front. Why would I not use it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had long commutes many times in my life, and I just had to complete a 10 hour drive in one day.

Not once have I used cruise control, not even to the point of wishing I had it?! I can see value in self driving where I go read, work, or nap (especially if it’s late and I’m tired) but driving esp highway driving is so easy I don’t see why everyone is excited for them. The worst is FSD lite, where you don’t need the driver except in that split second of panic, how in the world is that more restful?

You've clearly never driven I5 between SF and LA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use it all the time. New cars have smart cruise control which breaks for you if the car in front of you is slowing down and also keeps a safe distance from the car in front. Why would I not use it?

+1 Plus my last car was a bucket of bolts that felt like it was hitting Mach 5 at 55mph, so my perception of how fast I'm going is really off in my new car. So when there's less traffic I have a bad habit of just speeding up and up and up without realizing it because I'm not flying past anyone; cruise control keeps me from accidentally doing 90 for no reason.

[Anonymous]

I hate cruise control, even when driving long distances. It makes me nervous it won't shut off if I suddenly need to slow down. My husband swears by cruise control, but then he only adjusts at the last minute when the car in front is slower than he is, which is so annoying.

Of course, I don't have one of those newer cars PP is talking about. I don't trust all this tech.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate cruise control, even when driving long distances. It makes me nervous it won't shut off if I suddenly need to slow down. My husband swears by cruise control, but then he only adjusts at the last minute when the car in front is slower than he is, which is so annoying.

Of course, I don't have one of those newer cars PP is talking about. I don't trust all this tech.

Well tech like that is more accurate than human behavior since it's not subject to distraction, tiredness, etc. I'm not talking about self driving cards, just new features that improve the accuracy of driving.

[Anonymous]

I will only use it for multi hour highway driving where the traffic is light. I may use it 3-4 times a year.

[Anonymous]

I started using it regularly right after our family members had 2 speeding tickets and I we have several speed traps around my normal driving areas. For me, it's a way to control my own speed -- regardless of what the very impatient drivers around me are doing. I've grown to like it quite a bit.

[Anonymous]

I use cruise control **all** the time. I can't imagine not using it.
It allows me to go a consistent speed without thinking about it, which is great for highway driving. YOu don't need to to turn it off to speed up or slow down - you use the pedals just like normal, so I'm not sure how that's a concern.

My husband hates it, and he drives me crazy with his random acelreations.

[Anonymous]

I use it on the highway when traffic is light, and the automatic slow down/speed up makes it even more useful. Tragically, in stop and go traffic jams the automatic cruise control is much too jerky in my Forester to be useful. But it was amazing once when I had a sprained ankle and got stuck in a big back up by the bay bridge.

I don’t think I use it on the highway much until I’m south of Richmond. So if you’re driving locally, you may not use it at all. Out west it is super helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate cruise control, even when driving long distances. It makes me nervous it won't shut off if I suddenly need to slow down. My husband swears by cruise control, but then he only adjusts at the last minute when the car in front is slower than he is, which is so annoying.

Of course, I don't have one of those newer cars PP is talking about. I don't trust all this tech.

There are lots of reasons not to use it but being worried it won’t shut off isn’t one of them. It disengages as soon as you touch the brake.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in the Midwest and used it all the time on the highway. It’s pretty easy to get going really fast with wide open space.
On the east coast it’s annoying especially the self adjusting ones. I often use it in Virginia since it’s easy to get reckless driving charges. I don’t use it nearly as much in heavy traffic though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use cruise control **all** the time. I can't imagine not using it.
It allows me to go a consistent speed without thinking about it, which is great for highway driving. YOu don't need to to turn it off to speed up or slow down - you use the pedals just like normal, so I'm not sure how that's a concern.

My husband hates it, and he drives me crazy with his random acelreations.

+1

For me it doesn't have anything to do with holding the gas pedal being "taxing" - it's for speed consistency.