20mph residential speed limit (replacing 30mph)

Syla5 said:
I would be surprised if any car with cruise control doesn't have automatic responses to collisions. All the cars I've drive with CC will react to braking for example, also your example is flawed again in that if you hit someone while you have your foot on the accelerator you have to factor in reaction time to remove your foot from the accelerator and move it to the brake pedal. People also suffer from pedal panic as well and when they are doing something wrong many react by pressing what they already have their foot on as that's a quicker more knee jerk reaction then lifting / moving / pressing.
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Very few cars seem to feature auto braking/collision avoidance features until you get to the top of the line models from my recent browsing for a new car, at least at the <£30k price bracket. Also most older cars which do have cruise like my 2016 car almost certainly won't have anything like that.

When I'm using cruise I rest my foot on the accelerator because the brake pedal is set too high to comfortably rest my foot on and muscle memory says that in an emergency brake situation I'm going to be used to having my foot on the accelerator and therefore having to move it to the brake. it would require more conscious thought for me to realise my foot is already on the brake YMMV but that's how I use my cruise.
 
tom_e said:
Very few cars seem to feature auto braking/collision avoidance features until you get to the top of the line models from my recent browsing for a new car, at least at the <£30k price bracket. Also most older cars which do have cruise like my 2016 car almost certainly won't have anything like that.

When I'm using cruise I rest my foot on the accelerator because the brake pedal is set too high to comfortably rest my foot on and muscle memory says that in an emergency brake situation I'm going to be used to having my foot on the accelerator and therefore having to move it to the brake. it would require more conscious thought for me to realise my foot is already on the brake YMMV but that's how I use my cruise.
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Theres a difference between proactive and reactive. CC cutoff (as a collision reaction or not) is very much not a proactive feature but is present on all cars ive driven with CC, press the clutch of break and it deactivates the systems.
MrRockliffe said:
Realistically people don’t - when you’re less engaged in the drive, you’ll find yourself in autopilot more
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If your focusing on the speedo to make sure you're doing 20, you are less focused on the road then when you've actively set cruise control so you can focus on the road rather than the speedo.

People who focus less when they have cruise control on, wont be doing 20mph without cruise control in the first place!!
 
Syla5 said:
If your focusing on the speedo to make sure you're doing 20, you are less focused on the road then when you've actively set cruise control so you can focus on the road rather than the speedo.

People who focus less when they have cruise control on, wont be doing 20mph without cruise control in the first place!!
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You don’t need to focus on it. You can glance at it every now and then.


Plus, it’s a limit - not a target.



I think people need to be less obsessive about staying at the speed limit and drive the conditions better.


My other half’s fiesta will happily do 16-20 in 3rd, and won’t be on boost when doing so. Meaning it’s very easy to maintain a constant speed.



If one can’t maintain a constant 20 in one’s own car with one’s right foot without staring at the speedometer, I think there are bigger issues :)
 
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Syla5 said:
Theres a difference between proactive and reactive. CC cutoff (as a collision reaction or not) is very much not a proactive feature but is present on all cars ive driven with CC, press the clutch of break and it deactivates the systems.
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Oh yeah I've never driven one that won't cut off if you brake, although the wife's car allows you to change gear and continues with cruise while mine doesn't.
 
I don't use cruise control for the reasons people have listed; I don't feel in true control of the car and having my right foot poised leads to cramp.

It far better to use the Limiter if your car has the feature. You still apply the accelerator and brake as you would normally but won't exceed the set limit unless you mash the accelerator.
 
MrRockliffe said:
If one can’t maintain a constant 20 in one’s own car with one’s right foot without staring at the speedometer, I think there are bigger issues :)
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Stick your cruise control on and pay attention to those around you and see just how many are completely speed unaware. Sure a speed limit is not a target, but driving to slow is just as dangerous as driving to quickly, and is also an offence as well as it shows a lack of due care and attention.
 
Syla5 said:
Stick your cruise control on and pay attention to those around you and see just how many are completely speed unaware. Sure a speed limit is not a target, but driving to slow is just as dangerous as driving to quickly, and is also an offence as well as it shows a lack of due care and attention.
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I never said those that don’t use cruise are aware.

Driving too slow is dangerous, but I didn’t say drive slowly.



Be less obsessive about speed + don’t drive to a time limit = you’ll have a much better time and be safer.
 
My point was more in counter to yours that cruise control makes you less focused on the task of driving, i was more pointing out that cruise control allows you to actually appreciate just how unaware most road users are of their actual speed, and their ability to sustain a consistent speed. Cruise control in my opinion allows you to be more focused on the task of actually driving as well.

Each to their own but in my view using CC is better than not.
 
Syla5 said:
My point was more in counter to yours that cruise control makes you less focused on the task of driving, i was more pointing out that cruise control allows you to actually appreciate just how unaware most road users are of their actual speed, and their ability to sustain a consistent speed. Cruise control in my opinion allows you to be more focused on the task of actually driving as well.

Each to their own but in my view using CC is better than not.
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I agree with you in that in principle it does.

My point is that in reality, it doesn’t.


My reason for this is that you/one often becomes less engaged with the drive.


Not everyone, but as an avid fan of cruise, I’m well aware of the limitations and risks of using it.


If I use it too much, I become very lazy, often braking much later at risk of “having to turn it off and letting my speed drop”.


When I’m considering my speed, and in control of it with my right foot, I’m a much better driver.


Cruise control is a tool which has its uses. It shouldn’t be a “set it and forget it” tool.


If my time as an engineer has taught me anything, it’s that most mistakes and accidents happen when people are not engaged with what they’re doing.
 
Although it slightly went off the main topic people had some discussions over the 20mph limit here:

Spate of destroying speed cameras in villages

Here in sunny* Cornwall, we are having an ongoing epidemic of speed cameras being cut down or otherwise rendered non-functional. As reported in our local online rag (adblocker strongly advised), the readers' comments are somewhat evenly split, with many choosing to congratulate the perps. Often...
forums.overclockers.co.uk forums.overclockers.co.uk
 
MrRockliffe said:
If one can’t maintain a constant 20 in one’s own car with one’s right foot without staring at the speedometer, I think there are bigger issues :)
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Depends quite a bit on the vehicle - one of the vehicles I drive is a reasonably torquey diesel matched with CVT and low speeds are really not its strong point as you get up to about 20 around the time the power starts catching up so you really do have to watch the speedo a lot to maintain 20, sits well at 30 though.

My Navara isn't great for it either.
 
If they posted a cop at busy sets of lights in towns they would make a fortune from cyclists. Maybe 1 in 10 actually stop at red lights.
 
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Nasher said:
If they posted a cop at busy sets of lights in towns they would make a fortune from cyclists. Maybe 1 in 10 actually stop at red lights.
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They'll make more from motorists, as there's vastly more of them breaking lights even if its a lower % (though it often isn't).
 
OspreyO said:
They'll make more from motorists, as there's vastly more of them breaking lights even if its a lower % (though it often isn't).
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I very rarely see cars going through red lights. Especially ones which have been red for a while and there is oncoming traffic on the junction. Most cyclists do it, even on cross-roads which is pretty risky.
 
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Nasher said:
I very rarely see cars going through red lights. Especially ones which have been red for a while and there is oncoming traffic on the junction. Most cyclists do it, even on cross-roads which is pretty risky.
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Maybe people only see what they want to see...

"...as many as one in four (24 per cent) of motorists admit to having driven through a red light in the past 12 months — equivalent to 9.3 million motorists.."

"...traffic cameras are catching around 184 drivers every day...."

"...However, these figures are just the tip of the iceberg, as they only reflect those offences documented by 33 Police forces, plus only the minority of red lights have a camera. ..."
 
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