GEN 2 adaptive cruise control use

It’s Memorial Day weekend and I found myself on I95 Saturday morning, along with the peasantry headed south. It wasn’t my fault really. As fate would have it, A. Smith Bowman finally released their 2017 Abraham Bowman (whiskey). There were only 4 barrels, so I knew to score some, we would need to be at the distillery well before the 10:00 opening.

Whilst traveling south I wanted to try the adaptive cruise in what I’d hoped would be a smooth, flowing trip. I don’t know why I thought this, I know better.
Sure enough, not long after engaging cruise, traffic began to get a bit more... challenging.

The reason for the post - I found something somewhat troubling while using the adaptive cruise. It’s not a bug, it was surely inappropriate use, on my part.

Traffic began to get hectic, with impatient motorists desperate to make time. I should have seen this coming but I was maintaining a steady, with traffic pace, we’ll say I was passing 97-98% of the vehicles sharing the road with me, and keeping a steady pace behind the front vehicle in the left lane. The only folks passing us were the few ‘pass on the right at 95mph plus until they come right up on the slow tractor trailer in the right lane, change lanes left and pray I don’t hit anyone’ folks.

The pace began to slow, and the ACC kept a steady gap, which was very enticing to some folks to the right of me, who jumped in front. The 2nd guy who did it was no more than 2 car lengths, and when he jumped in front, the truck cut all power. Though we weren’t braking, it felt like we dropped anchor.

It’s the first time I’ve been in traffic like this with the truck and made me disengage the cruise for the rest of the interstate trip. Again, I’m not angry or disappointed at the truck, I understand it was just doing what it was programmed to, it was just me keeping the cruise engaged when I probably shouldn’t have.

Lesson learned.

Thanks for posting your experience. I too am looking forward to trying this feature as I just picked up my SCREW last weekend and have yet to try it. Just out of curiosity knowing there are three distance settings which one were you using?

^ great question above. If you were using the 3 car lenghts option and leaving a lot of space between the vehicle in front and you, I am sorry to say smurf, you should have been in the middle lane. It doesn't matter how fast you are going, if there are people behind you wanting to get by, you should move over. Or you force people to do silly things to try and pass you, putting themselves and you at risk. If the left lane was left purely for passing, 90% of the passing related accidents can be avoided.

What's the bug? Somebody got in front of you and the truck coasted? What else would you like it to do...rearend the guy in front of you for going faster?


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This is why I opted out of ACC for my Raptor. My Jeep had it, worked great (UNTIL) a car that I was passing on the interstate performed a sudden and unannounced lane change two car lengths in front of me. The jeep applied the brakes so hard and violently, it actually warped both front rotors. And for all the smart asses on the net, no I did not nail the guy, and yes I am glad I did not do so. Here is where the rub is: Had I been in normal cruise, I would have simply tapped my brakes and maintained distance. The car did not need such a violent intervention to prevent an accident, and I'm pretty positive that this is what Smurf is attempting to educate us all on.

Folks, the Rap performed exactly as designed, no bugs, no flaws, this was plainly an inappropriate usage of the cruise or rather hanging on to the cruise setting longer than I should have. No blame for the truck.

I was using whatever the default setting is, 3 car lengths right?

X* - people weren’t passing me, until the traffic congested in all 3 lanes. That’s when the truck started protecting the gap. I think we were set at 73, and as i mentioned, we were holding a solid gap to the car in front, and not being passed. No weather issues, just holiday traffic. When the first car cut in, the “sea of brake lights” across the lanes began, the next car cut in and that’s when the truck took action. You and I clearly disagree on left lane usage and proper gap maintenance. All of this took mere seconds to develop, I wasn’t turtling in the left lane. At 70+, 3 car lengths is marginal in a 5700 pound truck depending on the vehicles in front of you. I maintain, I was appropriately passing slower moving traffic within [that particular part of] the law.

I’ve used the ACC on the beltway to test it out, and anything but the left lane isn’t feasible around here. There’s too much speed variance. You can be 55-60 in the middle lane and 75-80 in the left lane and it will work until people start getting impatient. I’ve had the truck intervene to protect the gap, find open real estate left of them and as soon as I clear the 12 o’clock obstacle the truck picks right back up.

I think Kandewinn got what I was trying to get across. The programming is meant to protect the gap and keep us out of a collision. Although I wouldn’t call the truck’s intervention ‘violent’ it was pretty severe.

Technology is great and all, but not a substitute for putting your full attention to the task at hand.

That's why I hate ACC. Never use it on my wife's SUV (which is what we use for long trips). But some like it. To each their own.

I wouldn't pay 2 bucks to have it as an option.

Use it all the time on the wife's Ford Flex. Set speed and distance, foot off the pedals, and hang on. I find it more aggressive in braking and throttle than I would otherwise be but am fine with that.

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