Drivers Disobey Speed Limits With Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive Cruise Control is designed to make driving on the highway more enjoyable and less stressful. The system not only allows you to set your speed and following distance, but it also automatically monitors traffic patterns ahead of you and automatically changes your speed so you keep the pre-set distance between you and the car in front of you. Unfortunately, some drivers are using ACC’s power for good as an excuse to be bad.
Ways to Save: 4 tips for saving fuel in SUVS
According to a study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “drivers are substantially more likely to speed when using ACC or partial automation that combines that feature with lane centering than when not using either technology.”
Since ACC doesn’t calculate the posted speed limits, drivers can enter in whatever speed they want, including a speed that goes over the legal limit. Although drivers are abusing the speed limit settings, ACC takes control of the distance setting, which according to a recent study of insurance claims from the IIHS-affiliated Highway Loss Data Institute, may go a long way in protecting drivers from crashes.
“Other studies have shown that these systems maintain a greater following distance at their default settings than most human drivers and suggested that they reduce the frequency of passing and other lane changes,” reports the IIHS.
IIHS’s study used data sourced over a four-week period from 40 drivers. The agency wanted to examine the relationship between speeding habits and technologies such as ACC and lane-centering systems.
“The data suggest that drivers were 24 percent more likely to drive over the speed limit on limited-access highways when those systems were turned on,” reports the IIHS.
Car Care: Tips for maintaining your tires
The IIHS’s study also revealed that drivers would go over the speed limit at greater amounts when they used the technologies. When they did not use the systems, their defiance of the speed limit was in lesser degrees. The study did not determine if the drivers increased their following distance when using ACC.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.