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Cruise control is simply described as a device in a vehicle or car that can be readily switched either off or on to maintain any chosen constant velocity without necessarily using the accelerator pedal.
In other words, cruise control is used to perform certain actions with very little effort or contribution on your part.
It is a device that assists in reducing driver fatigue which is commonly felt when driving for very long distances. It serves by precisely imitating how drivers operate the vehicle.
However, as against pressing the accelerator pedal, cruise control utilizes an actuator to control the throttle and also helps you to continue cruising at a constant velocity or speed.
You need to know that the best place to use cruise control is whenever there is little or no traffic on the highway. Therefore, cruise control enables you to enjoy and also maintain a consistent speed.
As a result, when you talk of speed, you should only use cruise control when the allowed speed limit is the same for long periods, but not more than this permitted speed limit.
Of course, you can brake while on cruise control. However, using the foot brake manually will automatically shut off any setting you might have installed in the cruise unit.
Therefore, it is strongly suggested that you should alternatively use the decelerate button on the vehicle’s control panel. Also, you can readily adjust the speed setting of the cruise by simply tapping either up or down.
The use of cruise control does not constitute any danger to you or the vehicle. However, it can be dangerous when used wrongly, but when you use it in bad conditions or while not giving it any attention, it can lead to avoidable and reckless road traffic accidents with severe repercussions on lives and properties as well.
For you to ascertain whether your vehicle is equipped with cruise control, you should try to locate the controls needed to operate it in the vehicle.
These cruise control buttons are located somewhere beside one of the stalks or on the steering wheel itself. For you to switch it on, you are usually required to press a button identified with the symbol of cruise control. It is a speedometer symbol with an arrow showing the speed you have chosen for the cruise on the stalk.
You are most likely going to reason that driving with cruise control on in the rains or snow may even increase your safety, but that may not be the truth.
For instance, driving with cruise control when the road is wet may constitute a grave danger to you, others, and the vehicle itself.
It is designed to become disabled only when you press the brake pedal, and for this reason, you should turn it off before the road becomes wet from rains or snow.
Table Of Contents
What is cruise control?
Cruise control is a modern device installed in some cars that helps you with driving. Specifically, cruise control will enable you to set the speed at which the vehicle will move constantly without the need to press the accelerator or gas pedal. (Read Also: Can Brake Rotors Cause Vibration?)
This chosen speed will be maintained constant throughout your journey as long as you do not press the brake pedal. Conversely, the instant you step on the gas pedal, it is automatically disabled.
Cruise control gives the driver some rest from the strenuous demands associated with long journeys. However, it is strongly advised that you should not use cruise control whenever the roads are either crowded, wet, or slippery with snow.
Furthermore, it is not also recommended for you to use cruise control on a hill or slope as well as around bends or corners, and indeed anywhere your visibility is either obstructed or impaired.
How do you brake on cruise control?
It is very easy to use the brake system of any vehicle even when you are driving on cruise control. You can simply press the brake pedal while driving on cruise control, just like you do during conventional driving. (Read Also: 6 Best Brake Pads For Jeep Cherokee In 2022)
If you apply pressure on the brake pedal while driving on cruise control, it will automatically shut off the cruise settings or abort them temporarily.
Another very viable alternative to braking while on cruise control is by pressing the deceleration button on the cruise control panel of the vehicle, wherever that is located. The instant you press this button, the car will automatically begin to lose speed.
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Is it safe to brake on cruise control?
Certainly, it is very safe to brakes, while on cruise control as long as you go about it correctly. To this effect, whenever you feel like abolishing any cruise control set while driving on it, all you should do is simply apply some pressure to the brake pedal.
The moment this is done, it will automatically disable any cruise setting you have input into the vehicle. At this stage, you will no longer cruise at the speed you have set previously.
In the alternative, since any car equipped with cruise control has a control panel, you should simply activate the decelerate button on this panel. This will also brake down the vehicle and be very safe too. As long as you follow these steps, braking on cruise control is as safe as braking under any circumstance.
How do you know if your car has cruise control?
The major feature by which you can identify whether your vehicle has cruise control or not is the presence of the cruise control panel.
Ideally, this control panel is located on the indicator stalk of the car or its steering wheel. To switch on, all you have to do is press a button marked with the cruise control symbol, which is a speedometer with an arrow pointing to the speed you have set for the duration of the cruise.
Once you have found this control panel, your car is fitted with it, otherwise, it is not. Simple enough, right? That’s it. (Read Also: Does Rotor Size Matter?)
Do all cars have cruise control?
Even after about six decades since Chrysler introduced driving without necessarily bothering with the gas or speed pedal, cruise control has assumed a standard requirement for driving in most of the new cars produced nowadays.
Just as it is with power locks and keyless entries, you can easily forget that the cruise control feature is even there. All in all, most modern cars in mainly developed climes are equipped with cruise control.
Frequently asked questions(FAQ)
Is it okay to use cruise control on a hill?
It is not recommended that you operate cruise control on hills, at bends, or even on slippery roads too. To put it mildly, it is inviting disaster to do so. Therefore, whenever you are on a hill, it is best if you manually control the vehicle with the aid of the accelerator and the brake. Again, cruise control is not guaranteed to drive your car properly on a hill, which means the vehicle may move very slowly, which can be hazardous.
Can you use cruise control in a driving test?
Certainly, you can use cruise control on a driving test. However, despite this curious permission, you are likely to find this recommendation as a needless distraction unless you are very conversant with how the feature operates.
Even when you are very conversant with the features of cruise control, it still represents a tremendous risk to accord any attention to it in a driving test.
Therefore, even though you can use cruise control in a driving test, it will be best if you don’t so as not to have divided attention with potentially very grave outcomes.
Does cruise control cause aquaplaning?
It is at best curious when you evaluate the advice given on this matter by even the experts since it is both confusing and misleading.
All in all, although you are not recommended to use cruise control on wet or snow-covered roads, surprisingly, there is no acceptable explanation or reason why cruise control will cause aquaplaning. In summary, although very intriguing, cruise control does not cause aquaplaning.
Can You Brake On Cruise Control – Conclusion
Certainly, it is both very strenuous and weak to drive for long distances and hours. Usually, after driving for hours or hundreds of miles, you are bound to become very exhausted and furnished.
Fortunately, the cruise control mechanism will certainly give you some respite while behind the wheel. With the use of this device, you can set the speed at which you want to drive throughout without necessarily having to bother with the accelerator pedal itself.
However, you should not use this device on any road aside from those that possess the required conditions.
Also, do not use cruise control on roads that are either wet or that have bent on them. Lucky enough, it is both easy and fast to disable the device at the touch of a button on its control panel or by just pressing the brake pedal.
