Do we need cruise control in India?

jaaz · 8th September 2009, 17:39

There are very few Expressways in India. And even these are not true their name. So, as of now, it's a feature which is useless.

Maybe in a couple of years - once the road conditions improve, we can start using CC. One such road coming up is between Bangalore & Mysore.

gsajjanraj · 8th September 2009, 18:00

It is not just good roads, expressways or freeways that are required to make use of Cruise control. We need driving sense. Not everyone who drives on a NH or a GQ has the right driving sense. The driving habits of people need to change before India can use Cruise controls.

We still keep to the right and over take from the left.
We drive with high beams on a highway, for better view.
We think the right most lane is for driving at the top speed of our vehicle(be it, 50 for an autorickshaw, 60-70 for some load carrying vehicles or 200+ for luxury sedans)
We feel safe driving between two lanes, such that the line dividing the two lanes would pass through the middle of our vehicle.
We live in a place which still thinks seat belts are not safe in case of an accident, as one cant jump out.
We have people crossing highways leaving their life in the hands of the speeding drivers and cattles let to stray on highways leaving the lives inside the vehicle on a swing.

I dont think Cruise would be a safer bet before we bring in road and driving sense into people.

pradeew · 26th January 2010, 17:50

The difference in cost is marginal, especially on those vehicles (heavy / light / passenger) which uses drive-by-wire (ge:- DDiS, Multijet, etc) to combined CC activation with a four-point radar/sonar. All these after market items are available for less than Rs 10K even now!

Its time for manufacturers to think otherwise after airbags!

theEnd · 26th January 2010, 18:07

This question is so ridiculous its actually funny! Trying to use cruise control in India would be like a MiG-29 pilot trying to engage autopilot in the middle of a dogfight.

Our roads are like a warzone. I'd rather see car-makers begin installing ejection seats and parachutes in cars rather than cruise control.

akas_chauhan · 26th January 2010, 18:23

Why to drive a car with automatic gear and cruise control, better to hire a Driver then IMHO.
@theEnd, Very funny but i agree with you.

SS-Traveller · 26th January 2010, 18:51

The consensus on this thread appears to be against cruise control as a sought-after feature in India, but as a user of a car equipped with CC, I would like to draw your attention to a post (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post1690950) of mine made a few days ago. You decide...

khoj · 26th January 2010, 19:59

3 positive responses out of 36 or 4 out of 37 including mine.

All of you guys saying no to CC reminds me of people laughing away when untill a few years ago one used to talk about seat belts, airbags, auto gear boxes and more recently isofix anchorages.

Let us revisit this question 5 years down the line and I am positive the responses will be in inverse proportion.

McLaren Rulez · 26th January 2010, 20:09

Well the point is that you can always use seatbelts, airbags and auto boxes. Can you find a place to use cruise control in India? If so, you're among the lucky minority with access to such roads on a regular basis. If you're like the rest who spend most of their time in stop start traffic or cheating death on the highway, then you'll probably never use the feature properly.

khoj · 26th January 2010, 23:31

My dear friend the first sentence of your post is exactly the gist of my post.

A decade ago people would say seat belts, air bags are not required at the speeds we generally drive at. 5 years ago they said auto boxes are not suitable for our traffic patterns so let us wait for another 5 or maybe even less and we will see the change of opinions at that time.

Untll then Happy & Safe driving.

gshanky · 27th January 2010, 05:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Well the point is that you can always use seatbelts, airbags and auto boxes. Can you find a place to use cruise control in India? If so, you're among the lucky minority with access to such roads on a regular basis. If you're like the rest who spend most of their time in stop start traffic or cheating death on the highway, then you'll probably never use the feature properly.

Can you please explain what you meant by - then you'll probably never use the feature properly

Cruise Control is a feature lot of cars started having since early 90s. It is a common feature and it is not a big deal. I hope you understand why one would use Cruise control.

You normally use it to limit your speed and to make sure you do not exceed the posted speed limit. This also has added benefits like increased mileage, etc. This essentially means you could find some use for cruise control in multi-lane highways. There are lots of multi-lane highways in india and hopefully folks can use cruise control as they deem fit.

Quote:

cheating death on the highway

I hope you are not driving a fire engine or an ambulance

. Anyways, it is upto you how you want to drive.

gshanky · 27th January 2010, 05:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by theEnd

This question is so ridiculous its actually funny! Trying to use cruise control in India would be like a MiG-29 pilot trying to engage autopilot in the middle of a dogfight.

Our roads are like a warzone. I'd rather see car-makers begin installing ejection seats and parachutes in cars rather than cruise control.

If Rajnikant were to be the pilot of the mig, then he would definitely use the auto pilot and sing a song too

SS-Traveller · 27th January 2010, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by theEnd

...like a MiG-29 pilot trying to engage autopilot in the middle of a dogfight.

Our roads are like a warzone. I'd rather see car-makers begin installing ejection seats and parachutes in cars rather than cruise control.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gshanky

If Rajnikant were to be the pilot of the mig...

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Can you find a place to use cruise control in India?

Interesting, how this discussion is shaping up. Seems that the majority believe that cruise control is a useless feature because it's a war zone out there, and they are in the cockpit of a Mig-29, need full control to engage in a dogfight, and cruise control has no place in such a scheme of things.

No wonder the government wants people above 72 to stop driving - who wants senile fighter pilots?

Could we all PLEASE drive a little slower and and a little more responsibly? The war is all in the mind...

McLaren Rulez · 27th January 2010, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by gshanky

Can you please explain what you meant by - then you'll probably never use the feature properly

Simple. You engage cruise control but within ten seconds, you have to hit the brakes. Or something like that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gshanky

Cruise Control is a feature lot of cars started having since early 90s. It is a common feature and it is not a big deal. I hope you understand why one would use Cruise control.

You normally use it to limit your speed and to make sure you do not exceed the posted speed limit. This also has added benefits like increased mileage, etc. This essentially means you could find some use for cruise control in multi-lane highways. There are lots of multi-lane highways in india and hopefully folks can use cruise control as they deem fit.

Sure, its not a big deal. Cars in the region of ten lakhs offer it. But that's not the topic, is it?

Firstly, who really honestly follows the speed limit in India? The only place where we do is in the cities because of the cops but you can hardly use cruise control in the cities.

And the multi-lane highways (few and far between to begin with) are infested with zig-zagging cars without the slightest idea of what lane discipline is. Sorry, but it is rare to find highways where you can sit back and cruise at a constant speed for significant periods.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gshanky

I hope you are not driving a fire engine or an ambulance

. Anyways, it is upto you how you want to drive.

No, but I certainly don't feel safe on our highways, no matter what I'm travelling in. Take a look at the accidents in India thread for a while and then tell me how safe our beloved multi lane highways are.

SS-Traveller is right. You can't use it because of the way our traffic works. The day Indians start driving sensibly, there'll be hope for cruise control.

Latheesh · 27th January 2010, 14:45

Cruise control in India!!! you are kidding right?. I am not a big fan of cruise control never used or allowed others during late night driving we used to do lot in US. In India we need to pay attention to many things when you are driving.

What we need is 6-8 eyes!!! not cruise control :-)

One to check our driving
one to check how others are driving
one to check vehicles from behind
one to check vehicles on/from left side
one to check vehicles on/from right side
one to check UFO from top (fly overs are the culprits)
one to check unmarked speed breaker/pot holes/construction/repair
one to check hidden sign board/indicators!!

sandygordon · 27th January 2010, 16:58

Cruise control....

I think some lorry drivers use a primitive form...
They place wooden blocks on the accelerator pedal...
I ve seen long distance bus drivers doing that...

8th September 2009, 17:39	#31
jaaz BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Earth Posts: 661 Thanked: 636 Times	There are very few Expressways in India. And even these are not true their name. So, as of now, it's a feature which is useless. Maybe in a couple of years - once the road conditions improve, we can start using CC. One such road coming up is between Bangalore & Mysore.
	() Thanks

8th September 2009, 18:00	#32
gsajjanraj BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 31 Thanked: 0 Times	Not just expressways but driving sense - needed before cruise It is not just good roads, expressways or freeways that are required to make use of Cruise control. We need driving sense. Not everyone who drives on a NH or a GQ has the right driving sense. The driving habits of people need to change before India can use Cruise controls. We still keep to the right and over take from the left. We drive with high beams on a highway, for better view. We think the right most lane is for driving at the top speed of our vehicle(be it, 50 for an autorickshaw, 60-70 for some load carrying vehicles or 200+ for luxury sedans) We feel safe driving between two lanes, such that the line dividing the two lanes would pass through the middle of our vehicle. We live in a place which still thinks seat belts are not safe in case of an accident, as one cant jump out. We have people crossing highways leaving their life in the hands of the speeding drivers and cattles let to stray on highways leaving the lives inside the vehicle on a swing. I dont think Cruise would be a safer bet before we bring in road and driving sense into people.
	() Thanks

26th January 2010, 17:50	#33
pradeew Newbie Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kochi Posts: 18 Thanked: 0 Times	The difference in cost is marginal, especially on those vehicles (heavy / light / passenger) which uses drive-by-wire (ge:- DDiS, Multijet, etc) to combined CC activation with a four-point radar/sonar. All these after market items are available for less than Rs 10K even now! Its time for manufacturers to think otherwise after airbags!
	() Thanks

26th January 2010, 18:07	#34
theEnd BHPian Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 534 Thanked: 6 Times View My Garage	This question is so ridiculous its actually funny! Trying to use cruise control in India would be like a MiG-29 pilot trying to engage autopilot in the middle of a dogfight. Our roads are like a warzone. I'd rather see car-makers begin installing ejection seats and parachutes in cars rather than cruise control.
	() Thanks

26th January 2010, 18:23	#35
akas_chauhan BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Antonio Posts: 596 Thanked: 25 Times	Why to drive a car with automatic gear and cruise control, better to hire a Driver then IMHO. @theEnd, Very funny but i agree with you. Last edited by akas_chauhan : 26th January 2010 at 18:24.
	() Thanks

26th January 2010, 18:51	#36
SS-Traveller Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 8,164 Thanked: 27,143 Times View My Garage	The consensus on this thread appears to be against cruise control as a sought-after feature in India, but as a user of a car equipped with CC, I would like to draw your attention to a post (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post1690950) of mine made a few days ago. You decide...
	() Thanks

26th January 2010, 19:59	#37
khoj Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Dilli Posts: 2,718 Thanked: 1,287 Times View My Garage	3 positive responses out of 36 or 4 out of 37 including mine. All of you guys saying no to CC reminds me of people laughing away when untill a few years ago one used to talk about seat belts, airbags, auto gear boxes and more recently isofix anchorages. Let us revisit this question 5 years down the line and I am positive the responses will be in inverse proportion.
	(1) Thanks

26th January 2010, 20:09	#38
McLaren Rulez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mysore Posts: 3,390 Thanked: 5,107 Times	Well the point is that you can always use seatbelts, airbags and auto boxes. Can you find a place to use cruise control in India? If so, you're among the lucky minority with access to such roads on a regular basis. If you're like the rest who spend most of their time in stop start traffic or cheating death on the highway, then you'll probably never use the feature properly.
	() Thanks

26th January 2010, 23:31	#39
khoj Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Dilli Posts: 2,718 Thanked: 1,287 Times View My Garage	My dear friend the first sentence of your post is exactly the gist of my post. A decade ago people would say seat belts, air bags are not required at the speeds we generally drive at. 5 years ago they said auto boxes are not suitable for our traffic patterns so let us wait for another 5 or maybe even less and we will see the change of opinions at that time. Untll then Happy & Safe driving.
	(1) Thanks

27th January 2010, 14:45	#44
Latheesh Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: CNN/BLR Posts: 4,243 Thanked: 10,090 Times	Cruise control in India!!! you are kidding right?. I am not a big fan of cruise control never used or allowed others during late night driving we used to do lot in US. In India we need to pay attention to many things when you are driving. What we need is 6-8 eyes!!! not cruise control :-) One to check our driving one to check how others are driving one to check vehicles from behind one to check vehicles on/from left side one to check vehicles on/from right side one to check UFO from top (fly overs are the culprits) one to check unmarked speed breaker/pot holes/construction/repair one to check hidden sign board/indicators!! Last edited by Latheesh : 27th January 2010 at 14:49.
	() Thanks

27th January 2010, 16:58	#45
sandygordon BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cochin Posts: 683 Thanked: 1,944 Times View My Garage	Cruise control.... I think some lorry drivers use a primitive form... They place wooden blocks on the accelerator pedal... I ve seen long distance bus drivers doing that...
	() Thanks