What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control?

MossRoad · Oct 20, 2016

Bird said:
I've long marveled at the number of bad drivers on the roads, and this thread proves that they include many of our TBN members.:laughing:

Hey Bird, didn't you have a link to a safe driving course somewhere at one time?

LD1 · Oct 20, 2016

MossRoad said:
Did you read the links I posted to?

Yes. Doesn't mean I believe everything I read or watch on the internet though. Not a lot of what you linked was related to what I am saying.

Sure, if the car behind me interprets my acceleration in anticipation of a hill as me speeding up permanently, it's gonna be a preputial cycle Everytime we have a hill.

What your links dont mention, is that there comes a point when the driver behind me learns what I am doing, and stops finger-fiddling their accel/decel bittons. Clearly the computerized models omitted this detail, to get the outcome that was so desired.

I'm not denying that using CC and driving a steady flow makes for a smooth flow of traffic. I get that. But fighting gravity is not the most efficient means of driving my car. I am simply trying to point out that a steady flow can STILL be maintained while following someone who drives like me. If the cars behind me choose not to do so....again that's on them and not me.

Sysop · Oct 20, 2016

Agreed with LD1, those articles/links/videos are talking about smooth traffic flow and nothing else. They don't apply to me or my driving style, which is "driving for optimum efficiency and longevity of my vehicle". I don't care what the other idiots on the road do. I'm out to make the drive as easy on me, my vehicle, and my pocket as possible. I live in an area where there is VERY little flat ground. Everything is inclines or declines. Even the tops and bottoms aren't totally flat as they generally slope to one side or the other as you turn to go up or down the other side... Cruise control wastes fuel in areas such as mine. There is no need to throttle the heck out of a vehicle all in the name of "maintaining your speed". There are many vehicles sold BRAND NEW that cannot maintain the posted speed limits on my local hills at wide open throttle. If you did that twice a day, five days a week, you would blow your car up.

I lose a little speed going uphill to conserve fuel, then make the speed back for free going downhill. My average speed actually varies day to day and moment by moment. If I'm fighting a headwind, my average is lower than when sailing with a tailwind. This is called the "Rolls-Can'ardly Driving Method" and is the most efficient way to drive any car. The vehicle will last longer, and your fuel economy will show a vast improvement. (Rolls-Can'ardly technically means "Rolls down the hill. Can 'ardly make it up the next." - Yes, it's a hillbilly thing...)

*EDIT* Vehicle longevity is important to me. I just purchased a brand new truck on the 28th of March. I have over 22,000 miles on it so far.

downsizingnow48 · Oct 20, 2016

I like the rolls can hardly thing! I had a 61 Chevy 4wd with 235 ci six. It would start slowing down when the next hill was just on the horizon. I got good at racing downhill to get some momentum for the next grade. Well maybe not race but go a bit faster.

dragoneggs · Oct 20, 2016

I believe there is a natural pulsing effect when the density of cars reaches a certain critical value. There is science to all of this including driver behavior. Much of this 'science' is usually conducted by civil engineers and especially ones focused on transportation. A friend of mine was deep into it quite awhile ago and attempted to explain to me several phenomena related to traffic. Some of his and others' study led to the incorporation of staggered stop lights at freeway on ramps.

That said, since CC speed will not be consistent from vehicle to vehicle, it is inevitable that pulsing will occur regardless if it is used or not assuming enough traffic.

MossRoad · Oct 20, 2016

Again, I say the "I don't care what other's think of my driving" is an anti-social behavior.

Sysop · Oct 20, 2016

downsizingnow48 said:
I like the rolls can hardly thing! I had a 61 Chevy 4wd with 235 ci six. It would start slowing down when the next hill was just on the horizon. I got good at racing downhill to get some momentum for the next grade. Well maybe not race but go a bit faster.

When you can get away with a good hillbilly drawl in your voice, the first time of explaining the Rolls-Can'ardly Driving Method to someone always gets a good laugh. :laughing:

CalG · Oct 20, 2016

To the OP

Driving is a full time job. CC is just one more thing to take your mind off the job.

Pay attention, don't let the "machines" take over. "Tesla Syndrome" will bite you.

Sysop · Oct 20, 2016

MossRoad said:
Again, I say the "I don't care what other's think of my driving" is an anti-social behavior.

And expecting everyone to perform to, whatever it is you consider to be "normal standards", isn't anti-social? Driving for efficiency isn't a normal standard to you apparently. Hate to break it to you, just cause you don't consider it to be a normal standard, doesn't make it so.