Dynamic cruise so nice in traffic!

Yes, 28MPH (45km/hr) is as low as it will set if in traffic, and as long as you don't touch the brake or cancel it, it will remain set down to 0 (zero). It will resume though from 40km/hr (25MPH), seems crazy that it won't set at that speed.

As for 30MPH (50km/hr) for standard cruise, that is really annoying - my previous 3 cars would set at 40km/hr (25MPH) - FORD Focus and Fiesta and KIA Rio. It makes it useless in roadworks with a 40km/hr limit.

 

You also don't have to hit the accelerator to resume, you can just tap up on the cruise control stick to resume.

 

It's a bit erratic - sometimes, I've just got to a complete stop and the car in front has taken off, and Samantha has taken off without my tapping accelerator or CC stalk, but it seems only if it's almost immediately. Or am I too impatient other times?

 

Interesting. I was reading my manual again, and I'm curious why Toyota says DRCC is unsuitable for heavy traffic.

"Situations unsuitable for dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed
range
Do not use dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range in any of the
following situations.
Doing so may result in inappropriate speed control and could cause an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.
●Roads where there are pedestrians, cyclers, etc.
●In heavy traffic"

The reason I ask is because, if an accident were to occur in heavy traffic, and data from the car revealed to the insurance company/police that DRCC was in use at the time of the accident, would that specifically make the driver liable, given Toyota's instructions in the manual?

 

Noted. So the driver would always be liable if any accident took place whilst DRCC was used in heavy traffic?

 

This is an old but interesting post..

“First, the driver of the car might have used the cruise control system improperly,” he said. “If so, he or she would be liable and his or her automobile liability insurance company would have to pay."

When Active-Safety Systems Fail, Who Pays? | WIRED


Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I've used DRCC a few times in closer traffic in the last week (not quite bumper-to-bumper, a little faster, traffic moving continually, but slowing and speeding), and she's done it excellently - the only worry is the guy behind. This afternoon I had a Mazda MX-5 who sat only a couple of metres behind at 60km/hr, Samantha slowed because the car in front suddenly did and I watched this idiot behind 2 or 3 times almost end up collecting me. After the 3rd time, he decided he'd sit back a bit. I've noticed a few times that when she slows down, traffic behind hasn't been prepared.

I guess in time, with more and more cars with DRCC (and total autonomy), drivers will need to be more careful and aware.

 

I did a 1,500 mile road trip last month, and had lots of opportunities to use the DRCC - worked brilliantly almost all the time and I love it - also thought it was excellent for helping when overtaking on the motorway, as even when I do that little glance over the shoulder, I knew the car was still "watching" in front in case there was any sudden braking.

There were two things that were negatives, that I noticed:

1. When a vehicle is turning off the motorway and you are following them, and they start to move onto the slip road, they often decelerate, which causes your car to decelerate much more than you would normally (as you'd be anticipating the road being clear). The DRCC however often would slow significantly to allow the vehicle in front to completely clear the lane, meaning I needed to intervene with the accelerator to avoid slowing down too much and annoying people behind me!
   
   
2. We had some very heavy rain with some really bad spray at car level and reducing visibility considerably. I noticed this caused problems for the DRCC, and the dashboard indicator wasn't showing a preceding vehicle, so obviously for whatever reason the sensors weren't seeing the leading vehicle - this somewhat scared me at a couple of points, when the car started accelerating rapidly towards the one in front - so much so I switched off DRCC during this particularly bad weather for a few miles. I expect once we'd got close enough it would have picked up the vehicle again, but didn't want to take the chance. In ordinary rain it worked fine, but these conditions it didn't like it.

 

Very interesting. According to the manual, DRCC is unsuitable for heavy rain, which you have proven.

Even staff at Toyota dealers are caught out by DRCC, as you can see from this new video. Watch what happens when he takes the exit ramp.

 

Yes, I've noticed that - but the stupid drivers here are even likely to start slowing in the driving lane, not the slip road, so I either move to the next lane if it looks like they are going to exit, or if that's not possible, I flick CANCEL and then RESUME again when I'm fairly sure it won't pick them up again.

I haven't had heavy rain yet - and it'll not snow here till the next ice-age.