Lucy Thanks for your detailed reply. Do you have scientific definitions for your phrases?
Cute Joke Steve
Steve wrote:
Lucy W wrote:
In the debated scenario, Cruise Control was being applied in "safe" circumstances, so the driver is not in a state of heightened awareness.
That's true, but is it relevant?
Surely the physical outcome from a spontaneous reaction will still be quicker (certainly no slower anyway) in that circumstance?
All else equal, how can hovering with CC be any worse than keeping the foot on the accelerator when the driver is
again 'not in a state of heightened awareness'?
I cannot say that I consider anticipation as 'heightened awareness' versus a driver 'paying attention'. There is a possibility of a higher awareness perhaps, but I can easily anticipate, and yet do not think that I am 'that much more aware'. I like to think that I am, as much as possible, thinking and paying attention and anticipating for much of the time that I drive (along with all the rest of the abilities and skills etc).
The (few) cars which I have driven with CC had various ways to 'cancel' the 'request', i.e. tap the brake pedal (gently), touch the throttle, change gear ... now are there any others that I am missing ?
So IF the drivers 'next' car input needs to be any of these actions, then it may only matter
if the desired next action, is what is under the right foot. I would ascertain that the 'action' taken is quicker, because the foot is covering that input and has to travel less far BUT I have seen too that a driver 'expectation' is that it will be over the throttle (expected start position!), and so move the foot (instinctively) to the left and then hit the clutch ! There is a command stated to the brain that if 'x' is needed then 'foot' location is 'here' so the next move is 'to here' in anticipation if or when something occurs, a kind of pre-emptive thought in readiness for the next action.
I do agree that when using the CC you generally are in what you perceive to be a 'safe' condition, that is you do not expect the immediate and mid range distances to alter much at all. So does better education and understanding need to be reinforced, to remind drivers that very wet roads with surface water, is not wise to have the CC on? Is this not obvious? Is the use of the CC regularly giving a false confidence ?
Is the driver
more or
less aware of the road when under CC? I tend to go 'more' because I feel the car is in a semi-auto mode and so feel that I must react sooner than 'normal' to any potential hazard, hence perhaps why I need to ensure greater awareness and control, so would choose to not have it (CC) applied under very wet conditions ...