{"id":3210,"date":"2020-01-21T11:50:38","date_gmt":"2020-01-21T18:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.emanualonline.com\/blog\/?p=3210"},"modified":"2025-07-14T04:23:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T09:23:51","slug":"adaptive-cruise-control-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.emanualonline.com\/blog\/adaptive-cruise-control-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work","title":{"rendered":"Adaptive Cruise Control: What is it and How Does it Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019re likely familiar with cruise control systems, but have you ever heard of adaptive cruise control? This is another automated safety feature that makes driving easier and safer. It\u2019s an interesting feature for anyone using cruise control regularly and those enjoying long road trips. In this article, we will outline the main differences between a regular and an adaptive cruise control system, how it works and why you need one.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Adaptive Cruise Control?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"adaptive<\/p>\n

Before you can understand what <\/span>adaptive cruise control<\/span><\/i> is, you need to know what a regular cruise control system is. S<\/span>tandard cruise control systems are now present in most vehicles nowadays and are used to maintain a steady speed while you drive on the highway. <\/span><\/p>\n

Since holding the gas pedal steadily for a long time might become tiresome, c<\/span>ruise control systems are there to simplify your life. This feature is used to keep your car at the same speed <\/span>without the use<\/span><\/i> of the gas pedal. Instead, you\u2019ll use paddles or buttons near your steering wheel to accelerate or slow down and set the desired speed. Most cruise control systems maintain the speed of the vehicle by controlling the opening of the throttle. Opening the throttle and increasing the airflow results in more speed, while limiting it will reduce it.<\/span><\/p>\n

This feature is most beneficial when you\u2019re driving on the highway for a long time. This will allow you to rest your foot while still keeping pace. It\u2019s also extremely easy to turn the cruise control off by stepping on the brake if there’s something ahead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that you know what a standard cruise control system is, it\u2019s easier to understand what an adaptive cruise control is. Unlike standard systems where you need to reduce the speed if there a car in front of you, adaptative cruise control systems automate this process. Instead of manually accelerating or decelerating by pressing a button, the system will handle it for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

The main difference between both systems is quite simple. The adaptive system is automatic and the regular system is manual. It\u2019s like the difference between using an automatic can opener and a manual hand-crank version. An automatic opener (an adaptive system) is much convenient and user-friendly compared to its manual (cruise control) counterpart.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How Does Adaptive Cruise Control Work?<\/span><\/h2>\n

An adaptive cruise control system uses a radar system and multiple sensors to determine the distance between you and the car in front. When activating the system, you need to select a safe distance to maintain. If the car in front of you speeds up, your car will also speed up and, more importantly, will automatically slow down when the car in front of you uses their brakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Does adaptive cruise control use the brakes<\/span>? <\/span><\/h3>\n

Yes! An adaptive cruise control system would be fairly useless if it didn\u2019t apply the brakes for you. Maintaining a steady speed is one thing, but avoiding an accident is much more important. This is what makes an adaptive system so easy and convenient to use. If you still needed to apply the brakes, the system wouldn\u2019t be very useful. Thankfully, adaptive cruise control <\/span>does<\/span><\/i> use your brakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Adaptative<\/p>\n

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What are the Different Types of Adaptive Cruise Control?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are two main types of adaptive cruise control systems: those using lasers and others using radars. Both systems serve the exact same function, although <\/span>how<\/span><\/i> they evaluate distance is slightly different.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the main distinctions between any type of adaptive system is that some include the ability to stop and go. Adaptive cruise control with stop and go means that your car will automatically slow down, even to a complete stop. Furthermore, it will also automatically re-accelerate to resume the set speed and following distance from the car in front of you.<\/span><\/p>\n

An adaptive system that <\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span><\/i> have this feature will only accelerate from current speed or slow down. This means that once you come to a stop, the cruise control feature will turn off and you\u2019ll need to manually accelerate to get back to speed. Both systems are useful, but an adaptive system with stop and go is much more effective for people that drive in stop and go traffic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"In-car<\/p>\n

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Which Cars Have Adaptive Cruise Control?<\/span><\/h2>\n

As useful as this technology is, not many cars actually come equipped with this feature. The main reason being that adaptive systems are a relatively new technology for many manufacturers. It was invented in the early 90s but was so expensive at the time that only luxury cars were equipped with them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In recent years, however, this technology has become more affordable and now comes standard in many modern cars. In fact, the emergence of autonomous driving features and advanced safety features now justifies adding lasers and radars on cars. For example, if manufacturers want to offer features like automatic emergency braking system, forward collision warning, or blind-spot detection, they have no other choice but to install sensors evaluating the distance between your car and other elements around it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here a list of a few manufacturers that install adaptive technology on their vehicle:<\/span><\/p>\n