[RVW]

Not sure if this is the right place but here goes.

Will insurance companies latch on to this as an excuse not to pay up on some crashes
Seems to me we shall all be going back to the HORSE & CART

CRUISE CONTROL TO BE BANNED?

Friday 28th January

Authorities blame cruising for tail-end collisions

Cruise control might be banned in the UK, if bans on the technology in Belgium are ferried over the Channel.

According to a story in Auto Express, signs are up on several motorways in Belgium, such as one leading to Antwerp and the Brussels to Ghent road, instructing motorists to switch off the system. It comes after a series of tail-end collisions in heavy traffic thought to have been caused by cruise control users failing to hit the brakes soon and hard enough.

Cruise control has tended to be confined to large executive saloons, though it is now finding its way down the food chain into smaller cars. Cruise control users can be reluctant to brake as it deactivates the cruise control system and, if there are more of them it could become a problem.

An AA Motoring Trust spokesman said that cruise control was useful in that it helped drivers stay within the speed limit but that drivers usually set it to the speed limit, irrespective of traffic conditions, which was not always appropriate in heavy traffic.

A Department of Transport spokesman is quoted in Auto Express as saying that there are no plans to ban cruise control at the moment.

Auto Express story: www.autoexpress.co.uk/

[Ooli]

Well, I live in Belgium, and I ordered cruise control on my MINI. So there.

Cheers,
Ooli

[AidenL]

I'm sure active cruise will become more common in the future too............

[ALD0]

I find if you set it at say 70 then do 80, I must admit I often forget to turn it off and get a surprise when it starts accelrating after de accelerating!..... if that makes sense?!

[RVW]

Quote: Originally Posted by AidenL

I'm sure active cruise will become more common in the future too............

Thats only available on big posh cars I beleive Mercs and the like. cannot see it filtering down to the masses for a very long time

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by RVW

Cruise control users can be reluctant to brake as it deactivates the cruise control system

So does crashing into the car in front. Each to their own though.

[Pinball]

Actually, cruise control is not banned in Belgium, but there are certain areas where you are not permitted to use it. I often came across these signs when travelling to Germany, as my route took me past Antwerp and Ghent. The signs are usually placed in areas where congestion is bad and/or there are a number of roads filtering onto the dual carriageway.

Plus, I'd like to see them try and ban CC. What will they do to all the thousands of motorists who have it already fitted in their cars??? Cruise Control is meant to be used when there is not much other traffic around. There is no point in activating it, de-acivating it when the traffic slows, then re-activating it when all's clear. Thats what the accelerator pedel is for.

[Malin Dixon]

Quote: Originally Posted by RVW

Thats only available on big posh cars I beleive Mercs and the like. cannot see it filtering down to the masses for a very long time

Everything filters down quite soon. When I was young, I remember being surprised by a dipping rear-view mirror on a Rolls-Royce. Now, I was surprised that any modern cars didn't do that automatically.

[Peter Crowl]

Interesting.

Here, CC has been pretty much a standard item since about '79. It was the Japanese influx that brought it to virtually every model.

Thinking about it, I don't notice the Cruise Control Creepers anymore. Used to be just what is cited in the article..people too lazy to come off the CC when coming up on slower traffic. Now I don't remember the last time I encountered that.

Perhaps it's a matter of CC becoming more familiar..people are learning how to live with it.

Peter..in Denver

[Damo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

So does crashing into the car in front. Each to their own though.

*PMSL*

Have to say i use cruise control more on 30mph/40mph stretchs than the motorway

[Cliff Briggs]

MCS Ragtop. No CC for me, I'm from the old school of open air motoring. No DSC either. I want to manipulate the car's abilities as much on my own as possible. I did order the LSD!! To me, CC takes too much out of being one with MINI motoring!!
Can't wait..Just got my production # on the 20th.

[EBMCS03]

Quote: Originally Posted by RVW

Thats only available on big posh cars I beleive Mercs and the like. cannot see it filtering down to the masses for a very long time

Whyd you use merc as an example? Should use BMW. More appropriate.

[MickyD]

so how do they know if you're using it? (in belgium I mean)

[RVW]

Quote: Originally Posted by MickyD

so how do they know if you're using it? (in belgium I mean)

How about >>> a series of tail-end collisions in heavy traffic

[dcfkan]

It is another case of killing the dog because it has bitten someone and the owner walks away without being punished!

If people do not know how/when to keep their distance and when to brake; and anticipate the cars in front to brake suddenly; or for the ones from either side to pull in front of them suddenly without indicating, then they should not be on the fecking roads, regardless whether they have cruise control or not!

Grrrrrrrrrrrr

Rant over

DK :apple:

[EBMCS03]

Quote: Originally Posted by dcfkan

If people do not know how/when to keep their distance and when to brake; and anticipate the cars in front to brake suddenly; or for the ones from either side to pull in front of them suddenly without indicating, then they should not be on the fecking roads, regardless whether they have cruise control or not!

Grrrrrrrrrrrr

Rant over

DK :apple:

Thank you! Tell that to the DMV for me. They let EVERYONE who can crawl out of bed get a license! You have to see it to believe it. People CAN NOT drive here in LA.

[RVW]

Another Twist to the story

CRUISE CONTROL CAN CAUSE FIRES

Monday 31st January

In US Fords that is...

Following on from the issues raised by the Belgian authorities' recent ban on cruise control, reported last week on PistonHeads (link below), it emerges that the technology could be responsible for starting under-bonnet fires.

At least, if you own a Ford SUV or pickup truck, that is. It turns out that Ford has issued a recall on some 792,000 vehicles in the US that may have a faulty cruise control switch.

This device can sometimes overheat and start a fire under the bonnet. As a result, Ford is recalling all 2000 F-120 pickups, Expedition and Navigator SUVs, and 2001 F-Series Super Crew pickups with cruise control fitted.

Apparently, the risk is so imminent that Ford's recall notice urges owners to visit their Ford dealer within the next week to have the switch disconnected. They need to come back again once Ford has developed and issued 792,000 replacement switches.

In the meantime, expect a rise in accidents on US highways as owners grapple with the unaccustomed need to stay awake on long-haul drives...