What is cruise control in the car? Device history and benefits

Many novice motorists wonder: "What is cruise control in the car?" It can be said, this is an integral feature of the modern car. Without it, long trips would turn into a total stress for the driver, and those who have a "chronic uncontrollable thirst for speed" would spend all their money on fines for exceeding.

A bit of history

At the beginning of the twentieth century, only Germany could boast of the best roads in the world. Other countries had no choice but to take as a basis the German rules for road construction. In the US, the development of the road network has become a state doctrine. By the 60th years they caught up with Germany in terms of the quality of roads. The emphasis was not only on the branched structure with cafeterias, gas stations and motels, but also on the longest roads. Multiband highways, which do not have single-level intersections with railroads and other roads, have covered vast areas. On the highways drivers winded several thousand kilometers a week, traveling the whole country along and across. Not surprisingly, the first car with cruise control appeared in the USA. In our country, this device is not given paramount importance. Although experiments with cruise control were conducted in the USSR. The first model equipped with this device was the Volga (GAZ-21).

What is cruise control in the car?

Most directories classify this device as a special device that allows to maintain the indicated speed of the machine constantly. At the same time, it can both be increased or decreased, with or without the driver. The thing is that when driving a long distance it is very difficult to keep your foot on the accelerator pedal all the time. Cruise control simplifies this task. How he does it, you will find out below.

Cruise control buttons

They are located on the steering column. As a rule, there are only four of them:

ON - turn on;

OFF - turn off;

SET - setting the speed;

RESUME - return to the speed set last time.

Now you know how to turn on cruise control. Let's talk about the benefits promised by this device. All of them boil down to three advantages: economy, comfort and safety.

Saving

While maintaining a uniform speed, savings can be from 5 to 15% of the fuel. For example, when driving without cruise control on a section of a road 200-210 km long with a speed in the range of 85-130 km / h, the estimated consumption per 100 km will be 11 liters. With the included cruise control and a stable speed of 110 km / h, you can save 2 liters and keep within 9. As a bonus, you can note the reduced load on the transmission and the engine. Consequently, their service life will increase.

Comfort

This advantage reveals to us how cruise control works. When driving, the driver does not need to press the accelerator pedal to maintain a constant speed. This will make cruise control for him. With the help of the control buttons listed above , the driver can set a fixed speed and do not press the accelerator pedal. At the same time, the fuel will be supplied independently and in the dosage necessary to maintain the current speed. If the required speed is exceeded, for example, on descents, the machine will automatically slow down, and when driving on a hill it can accelerate. This is due to the control of the ABS, fuel supply, engine speed. Today, this is a fairly technological process, which is regulated by mechanical execution units and electronics.

So what is cruise control in the car? This is, above all, comfort. After all, the driver does not need to monitor the maintenance of a certain speed, which means that you can rest, which is especially true for hours of exhausting driving. And not only does the leg rest. Thanks to cruise control, there is the possibility not to exceed the speed by inattention, which is also comfort. Due to the fear of speeding, the driver is forced to constantly "monitor" the speedometer data. The eyes get tired and the brain gets tired. In case of changing the traffic situation, it is always possible to turn off the cruise by pressing the brake pedal or gas (depending on the situation). You can return to this option by simply pressing the button. When the ignition is switched off, the previously set speed is canceled.

Security

Even those drivers who do not know what a cruise control in the car, put safety on the road above all else. This device will help to provide it. Thousands of highway objects contain certain traffic information. The driver is much better notices signs, signs and markings, completely focused on the road. Of course, the regime of maintaining a fixed speed is permissible for urban conditions, but on the other hand, it is not enough for them. But such a useful feature, like speed limit, is suitable for any roads. It allows you to set a certain limit (for example, 70 km / h), reaching which the car will be forced to brake. That is, the speed will vary from 0 to 70 km / h, and no more.

This option is very relevant in cities where there is a speed limit (60 km / h). Employees of the traffic police do this with might and main, because high speed on modern cars is achieved imperceptibly and quickly, and direct wide areas evoke the desire to accelerate. This is where the speed limit mode is needed. You want to slow down - please, but you will not be able to accelerate above the established limit.

We hope you understand all the benefits of cruise control. So think about buying it. Moreover, the installation of cruise control is quite simple and is carried out in any car service center.