Adaptive cruise control has become a standard feature in most modern vehicles. People whose vehicles have this feature appreciate that it maintains a safe distance between their car and the one in front of them.
But does it make your life more convenient, or does it increase your risk of being involved in a car accident? Here’s everything you need to know.
What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?
Adaptive cruise control automatically adjusts your car’s speed to maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of you. You can adjust the amount of space it leaves based on your speed and comfort level.
Adaptive cruise control is designed to make driving at stable speeds more convenient. It can be a great feature if you are on a long drive down a huge stretch of open highway.
The system uses a combination of sensors and radars to monitor the traffic ahead of you. While these systems are helpful in many situations, they aren’t foolproof. You must still be attentive so you can react to what’s happening on the road ahead.
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Are Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Avoidance Systems Safe?
Unfortunately, it appears that adaptive cruise control and hands-free driving systems can actually be quite dangerous. For instance, BlueCruise, Ford’s hands-free tech, was recently linked to two fatal crashes. These incidents resulted in increased scrutiny from federal regulators.
BlueCruise isn’t the only hands-free or adaptive driving technology linked to dangerous crashes. A study conducted by researchers from the Netherlands examined 28 vehicle functions, such as camera systems, blind-spot alerts, and tire pressure monitoring sensors.
Researchers categorized the systems into four levels of interaction:
- Informing systems
- Warning systems
- Intervening systems
- Comfort-enhancing systems
They determined that everything in the first three categories either reduces the possibility of an accident or has no effect. Only adaptive cruise control (and standard cruise control) increases the odds of a crash. Researchers placed both types of cruise control in the comfort-enhancing category.
Standard cruise was associated with a 12% increase in crash risk. Adaptive cruise control increased the crash risk by 8%, although some reports show a slight decrease. This rise could be attributed to distracted driving or people putting too much faith in their vehicle’s adaptive systems.
Adaptive Cruise Control Problems
One of the biggest problems associated with adaptive cruise control is how drivers use the system, which is meant to limit the need to press the brakes.
When using traditional cruise control, you have to reactivate or adjust the speed settings every time the vehicle in front of you speeds up or slows down. Adaptive systems also eliminate this hassle. The problem arises when people stop paying enough attention to the road ahead, because it can lead to rear-end crashes.
Another concern is that adaptive cruise control may not brake hard enough. These systems typically don’t take other corrective action, such as swerving to avoid an accident. Sensor obstructions and inconsistent performance on hilly terrain are other issues you need to be concerned about.
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Call Our Houston Car Accident Lawyers at Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers After a Wreck Involving Adaptive Cruise Control
If your vehicle has adaptive cruise control, you may be on the fence about using it. The truth is that you can safely use ACC, but you must be aware of its limitations. It’s not an autonomous driving system. It simply limits how often you have to brake or adjust your cruise settings. When used properly, ACC can make long drives easier and more convenient.
If you get hurt in a wreck where AAC was involved, contact the Houston, Texas personal injury law firm of Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers by calling (713) 500-5000.
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About the Author Brian White
Brian White earned his J.D. from South Texas College of Law in Houston and is licensed to practice in Texas. He is a Board-Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer.
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