[sbraj]

Our roads are full of uncertainties. One possibility is machine intelligence going up to high level of sophistication to meet this demand. This may take some time, and would need lots of fuzzy logic. But as and when this happens, human brain may become redundant. You don't need a driver. Machine would do the trick.

Other possibility is to bring in some amount of discipline on the roads so that today's machine's intelligence can be fully utilized.

IMO, first possibility looks realistic to expect.

[rjalihal]

Indian highways are notorious, no doubt about that. But then there are certain roads especially those in Rajasthan which are of excellent quality. So while i doubt if cruise control will come in handy on standard 2 lane state highways, they will be useful on the wider 4 and 6 lane ones. No harm in having cruise control even if it going to be used for a very short distance. But yes, we can definitely do without it as we keep changing lanes on the highways in order to overtake HTVs doing 30-40 kmph on the right lane!

[gshanky]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

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

using cruise control for 10 seconds doesn't mean that it is not being used properly. Rather than dabbling on the words and phrases I would agree that the driver should be sensible to know when to use it.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

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.

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.

Sure, there are also zig-zagging cars all over the world. And in most of the countries the no. of people who die/physically effected every year due to automobile accidents is more than most diseases. So it is not something unique to india.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

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.

Do we have any data on road accidents due to cruise control? In fact I would argue on the contrary - if more people start using cruise control on highways, there will be less accidents. At least for that reason I would like the cars equipped with CC. If not now, use it where it is applicable.

[SunilM]

Originally Posted by rjalihal

Indian highways are notorious, no doubt about that. But then there are certain roads especially those in Rajasthan which are of excellent quality. So while i doubt if cruise control will come in handy on standard 2 lane state highways, they will be useful on the wider 4 and 6 lane ones. No harm in having cruise control even if it going to be used for a very short distance. But yes, we can definitely do without it as we keep changing lanes on the highways in order to overtake HTVs doing 30-40 kmph on the right lane!

+1 to that.

You can add Gujarat roads also - they are mostly of excellent quality. Ahmedabad-Baroda expressway has a quality which allows you to easily cruise @80-90 kmph or more for more than an hour!

In a nutshell you take your own call if its worth spending money on CC, but you cannot generalize.

[gkrishk]

As an older driver who still likes to drive long distances (200+ km)solo, I find cruise control very useful:

I used to get a painful right knee from holding it continuously in one position pressing my foot on the accelerator pedal. Now I can lift my foot off and relax my leg. Long drives are not so tiring any more and I can keep going all day.

True, on our roads the CC gets disengaged every 30-60 seconds because you have to brake. But you can get back to cruising speed in about 10-20 sec and the CC will stay there at the touch of a button . Until the next moron cuts in across your path, that is.

I sometimes wish I had a button on the steering wheel to activate the brakes! Perhaps I can do a padmasana at the wheel then!

[rpmx1000]

Hopefully India will have automatics becoming popular before Cruise Control does. The Scorp is moving in the right direction with these.

India still does not IMO need Cruise control as mandatory.That will take at least 25 years before we have highways like the US and China. Maybe in pockets it will be a USP for sometime, but to go mainstream and be deployed in all cars, it will take a long time. The Scorpio VLX is the only good vehicle that I know of that has Cruise Control as an option today.Others can correct me with the facts.

[rjalihal]

Originally Posted by rpmx1000

Hopefully India will have automatics becoming popular before Cruise Control does. The Scorp is moving in the right direction with these.

India still does not IMO need Cruise control as mandatory.That will take at least 25 years before we have highways like the US and China. Maybe in pockets it will be a USP for sometime, but to go mainstream and be deployed in all cars, it will take a long time. The Scorpio VLX is the only good vehicle that I know of that has Cruise Control as an option today.Others can correct me with the facts.

I agree with the automatic part completely. I somehow feel cruise control is more user friendly and compatible with auto gears. Outside India, most cars on the road are equipped with an automatic transmission. In India, they have not become popular for several reasons. But deep down, manual gives you power you can control! A quick question: Is it possible to fit a cruise control on an automatic Zen? Am just wondering.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by gshanky

using cruise control for 10 seconds doesn't mean that it is not being used properly...

I hope for your own sake you're joking when you say that using cruise control ten seconds at a time constitutes proper use.

Originally Posted by gshanky

Sure, there are also zig-zagging cars all over the world.

Not in developed countries where cruise control is commonly used. Our traffic doesn't follow lane discipline. That's a fact. Please don't argue for argument's sake.

Originally Posted by gshanky

And in most of the countries the no. of people who die/physically effected every year due to automobile accidents is more than most diseases. So it is not something unique to india.

What does disease have to do with anything we're talking about? India has an alarmingly high road accident statistics by any standard. Period.

Originally Posted by gshanky

Do we have any data on road accidents due to cruise control? In fact I would argue on the contrary - if more people start using cruise control on highways, there will be less accidents. At least for that reason I would like the cars equipped with CC. If not now, use it where it is applicable.

You find the data for me then. It'll be pretty much impossible given the small number of cars on our roads that have cruise control. And I don't think anyone has made an effort to check if cruise control was engaged in an accident. But the question is not whether CC causes accidents. The question is whether we can use cruise control in India given the way our traffic works.

I'll stand by what I've said. CC certainly can't be used the way its meant to be, i.e., cruise for significant periods and rest the right foot. There's a very small minority that lives with access to roads where it can be used but that minority doesn't justify the statement that cruise control is needed in India. Let them buy it and enjoy it while the majority accept that the use of cruise control on our roads is simply not possible.

[Sudan_NFS]

I think we can use cruise control with a speed say 60-70 KMH then you can cruise for long time. if you want to cruise in high speed then you can't cruise for long.
Why 60-70 ? because this the average speed on our highways and the distance you can cover.

[nickatnite]

Cruise control is a definite no for indian roads. Along with jaywalkers and villagers on mopeds we have cows , goats, stray dogs and buffaloes to name a few that we have to contend with on our highways. And, our animals seem to take cues from our fellow citizens in following road rules. A recipe for disaster.

[mwzd]

I have a manual with cruise control - go figure.

But I've never had the opportunity to use it, except for one trip on the mumbai - pune expressway. And then I found it slightly distracting, with your foot on the gas pedal it gives you something to do I guess.

I wouldn't dare to use it in the city, not with people jumping on the road like jackrabbits and autos and two wheelers darting in front of your car.

[VIPER_SRT]

Originally Posted by nickatnite

Cruise control is a definite no for indian roads. Along with jaywalkers and villagers on mopeds we have cows , goats, stray dogs and buffaloes to name a few that we have to contend with on our highways. And, our animals seem to take cues from our fellow citizens in following road rules. A recipe for disaster.

Well said!
gkrishk: You were mentioning about your painful right knee when you keep pressing the accelerator. As far as I know one who drives in India uses both brake and gas pedals equally doesn't matter whether it highway or city roads. I dont understand how you can relax your feet in padmasana position when a cow/dog/chicken plays peekaboo with you. The sole reason for having a CC is for a driver to be stress free on long journeys, not to relax.

C'mon people, Cruise control is not for relaxing behind wheel. If you want to relax, hand over the wheel to someone else or pull off the road and take rest.

[gshanky]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

I hope for your own sake you're joking when you say that using cruise control ten seconds at a time constitutes proper use.

I am glad you got it. I wouldn't think anyone would put a time limit on using cruise control. Is it like nothing less than an hour will do?

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Not in developed countries where cruise control is commonly used. Our traffic doesn't follow lane discipline. That's a fact. Please don't argue for argument's sake.

Have you driven in developed countries? And even if some one is zig-zagging while you are in cruise control, there are some complicated gadgets available in every car that you might think about using. Those gadgets are called as horn and brake. Use with your best judgement. Still don't get it? Then there is another concept called defensive driving, consider it.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

What does disease have to do with anything we're talking about? India has an alarmingly high road accident statistics by any standard. Period.

Too bad my analogy was not intuitive enough to explain to you that road accidents kill more people than anything else all over the world.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

You find the data for me then. It'll be pretty much impossible given the small number of cars on our roads that have cruise control. And I don't think anyone has made an effort to check if cruise control was engaged in an accident. But the question is not whether CC causes accidents. The question is whether we can use cruise control in India given the way our traffic works.

You are the one who said cruise control is not for india and it is dangerous. And I am asking you to back it up. You show me some data to prove how and why cruise control is dangerous. As I said in the previous post, cruise control is normally used to drive in a limited speed not necessarily high speed because you would be driving beyond the speed limit and in so called developed countries there will be cops who don't take bribes. So in india, just cruise at normal speeds in highways if traffic permits.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

I'll stand by what I've said. CC certainly can't be used the way its meant to be, i.e., cruise for significant periods and rest the right foot. There's a very small minority that lives with access to roads where it can be used but that minority doesn't justify the statement that cruise control is needed in India. Let them buy it and enjoy it while the majority accept that the use of cruise control on our roads is simply not possible.

What is "cruise for significant periods"? You cruise for as long as you want. You are the driver so use your judgement before using it and if you see traffic, then wait until traffic clears. Just because CC is available it does not mean you have to use it every time you drive. And for the record, if one applies CC and breaks after 10 seconds he/she should be a fool(or suicidal or both) to resume CC without observing the traffic pattern. If so, then they should not be allowed to drive, period.

moral of the story - use CC with care as much (or little ) as possible.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by gshanky

I am glad you got it. I wouldn't think anyone would put a time limit on using cruise control. Is it like nothing less than an hour will do?

Sorry, sarcasm doesn't help. You know what I meant and putting words like drive for an hour with CC in my mouth isn't going to change that.

Originally Posted by gshanky

Have you driven in developed countries? And even if some one is zig-zagging while you are in cruise control, there are some complicated gadgets available in every car that you might think about using. Those gadgets are called as horn and brake. Use with your best judgement. Still don't get it? Then there is another concept called defensive driving, consider it.

It may surprise you, but yes, I have seen more than just Bangalore's roads. And I do know for a fact that driving in India is not anything like driving in developed countries. So you would rather engage cruise control and then brake (which would turn it off) and then reengage it and repeat this over and over? Considering the lack of lane discipline, the frequency at which you'd do this negates the whole point of cruise control. Again, sarcasm ain't winning you the argument.

Originally Posted by gshanky

Too bad my analogy was not intuitive enough to explain to you that road accidents kill more people than anything else all over the world.

No, they don't. And even if they did, its irrelevant to the discussion here which is not about road accidents.

Originally Posted by gshanky

You are the one who said cruise control is not for india and it is dangerous. And I am asking you to back it up.

Read my post again. I never said cruise control is dangerous. I said that the conditions in India are too dangerous to engage cruise control. Perhaps a better word would be indisciplined. Either way, the highway conditions do not allow for cruise control's use because of the way our traffic behaves.

Originally Posted by gshanky

As I said in the previous post, cruise control is normally used to drive in a limited speed not necessarily high speed because you would be driving beyond the speed limit and in so called developed countries there will be cops who don't take bribes. So in india, just cruise at normal speeds in highways if traffic permits.

Its not the speed which is the issue. It is the ability to maintain a constant speed on a road. Something that isn't possible on our roads.

Originally Posted by gshanky

What is "cruise for significant periods"? You cruise for as long as you want. You are the driver so use your judgement before using it and if you see traffic, then wait until traffic clears. Just because CC is available it does not mean you have to use it every time you drive. And for the record, if one applies CC and breaks after 10 seconds he/she should be a fool(or suicidal or both) to resume CC without observing the traffic pattern. If so, then they should not be allowed to drive, period.

Obviously, one cannot define what is the "significant period" exactly. It would be silly to expect anyone to define that. But as a driver, you would know that its far too much bother to keep reengaging cruise control during certain traffic patterns. And I am telling you that India is full of exactly those kinds of patterns.

I just realized you drive a Scorpio. Does it have CC? I suspect it does because that explains your refusal to admit that you have a feature on your car that is underused and cannot be exploited on our roads. And FYI, its not for nothing that cruise control featured in the top ten useless features on Indian cars in a recent ACI issue.

I'd also like to draw your attention to the thread title. It reads, does one need cruise control in India? And the argument has actually shifted to whether it can even be used optimally in India.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by WYN

Hi.. (All)Wyn from Goa!

Sure Cruise Control is not a very practical must-have in India.
But the rather recent Safety feature getting equipped on Top-End Luxury cars will be real nice one for us in India with the very unpredictable driving around.

It's called the PCS (Pre-Crash Safety) System!

Pre-Crash Safety

Pre-Crash Safety is a technology to anticipate and prepare a vehicle for a collision before it actually occurs in order to help minimize damage. The Pre-Crash Safety System makes up for a delay in the driver’s recognition of the situation or decision, and help mitigate damage caused by a collision even if an accident is unavoidable through such measures as alerting the driver of the danger, promptly activating the safety equipment and reducing the vehicle speed at the time of collision by automatic braking. The Pre-Crash Safety System is regarded as an effective technology that helps to reduce traffic accidents and casualties.

Pre-Crash Safety - Safetytoyota.com

It's still a very (very) expensive technology and makes use of Radar Sensors etc. It can be equipped for both Front & Rear end colissions. It's optional Equipment currently offered by the likes of LEXUS all over the world. I am sure Merc & BMW have it too.

The last I heard of this already being seen on a a Lexus LS460h (Hybrid) imported from UK to India by a Indian businessman. Should the Front Millimiter Wave Radar Sensor malfunction and you are not backed by Warranty - can set you back by 3 Lakhs.

Hope to see the Pre-Crash technology really evolve and appear on affordable cars! The future demands the same. The above are just some thoughts - Cheers!

This is a fantastic point of view. I would prefer safety features over convenience and luxury features any day.