Cruise control. Where do you put your foot?

[stewartingram]

If you go down through the gears, you are ready if you have to make a quick (emergency?) response to pull away again. Always be in control of the vehicle, not having it control you....

 

Stewart

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, peanuts said:

spoke with her instructer about why she wasnt being taught to go down through box on aproach to a junction told the new rule is gears to go brakes to slow ! save wear and tear on both lunacy 

If you sit with your foot on the clutch you will wear the thrust bearing, which is not a 5 minute replacement job.

If you tend to drag the clutch as well, as many do, the friction surface will wear as well.

Me? Never had thrust bearing fail or burnt out a clutch plate in 50 years of driving (now that's tempting fate!) but always plenty of newish cars getting them replaced when I go for tyres.

Edited August 10, 2019 by melmerby

[brianusa]

Surely a lot depends on where and how we drive.  We are all different in our attitude to driving but share the desire to keep ourselves and others safe.  As others have said, CC is great on the open road and does everything it claims and your foot can rest anywhere you put it to be comfortable.  Having mentioned that, I rarely uses it; most of my driving is around town and most times the freeways are too crowded.  If they are not, I usually set the CC about ten mph over and nobody bothers you, either the guy on your back bumper or the law!  The same applies in town with our 25mph limits; 35 feels better and doesn't cause the frustration of crawling behind those who doddle along sometimes way under the limit!

          Brian.

Edited August 10, 2019 by brianusa

[RANGERS]

10 hours ago, Colin_McLeod said:

Hi

 

My recently purchased car has cruise control. This is my first experience of this facility and I am very impressed but I have one question - where do you put your right foot?

I’ve had this on cars for a good number of years and have always found the best place for my right foot is to leave to at the lower end of my right leg....

[57xx]

 

9 hours ago, Colin_McLeod said:

The reason I asked was the ability to brake quickly in an emergency. Foot over pedal would give a quicker response than foot resting on the floor.

 

 

I always have my foot lightly resting on the accelerator pedal. That way I can either put power on straight away to override or move my foot to the brake to slow down/disengage. I had one scary incident in my old car where I was resting my foot on the floor. When I needed to brake quickly, my foot caught the edge of the brake pedal and slipped off onto the clutch which then went to the floor. I thought I had lost the brakes at first but was able to get my foot back on the brake pedal in time to stop. From then on I always rested my foot on the accelerator and let muscle memory get me on the brake pedal every time.

 

9 hours ago, woodenhead said:

I stopped using mine, never really have the road empty enough to use it without constantly pausing it.

 

Much more useful are the speed limiters which keep you to a maximum speed, very good in camera controlled zones.

 

 

You need a car with adaptive cruise, it will automatically match the speed of cars you come up behind, its then up to you if you want to pull out and accelerate past or just sit behind them. I find that a lot more useful than the speed limiter that it also has, it works very well in 50mph sections of motorway roadworks.

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by 57xx

[37114]

Always have the foot over the brake when using cruise control but as others have said I use the limiter more these days since I went on a speed awareness course. Since "reforming" I find I am less tired after a long drive and the limiter means I am not worried about momentarily exceeding the limit.

 

I always get better fuel consumption when  I don't use the limiter as I read the road and accelerate/brake accordingly which the limiter doesn't do.

[Dave Hunt]

I was taught that the main reason for changing down as you slow down is to have the ability to accelerate more or less instantly if you need to in order to get out of a potentially problematic or dangerous situation. This seems to me to make sense and I consider the idea that you should come to a stop still in a high gear to be twaddle.

[Colin_McLeod]

One can brake to a stop in neutral. Easy to go straight to the correct gear if acceleration becomes necessary.

[JDW]

I tend to keep my foot gently resting on the accelerator when the cruise is on, as others have said this is better than having it on the floor or elsewhere if you need to brake suddenly or accelerate out of trouble. 

 

One important point if you're not used to using it though is that it should not be used in certain conditions, such as snow, ice or where there is or may be standing water (ie moderate to heavy rain) as if one wheel loses grip momentarily, the system cannot cope and could lead to a wheel spinning and causing the car to spin out of control when it regains traction. 

[PatB]

The Scudo has a convenient front wheelarch to rest your foot on, next to the accelerator. I find that I can pivot my foot from there, over the accelerator and onto the brake without any real delay, and without lifting my heel, over having my foot on the pedal. People with differently sized/shaped feet, less flexible ankles or differing driving positions may need to make other arrangements.

 

On cruise control in general, I was surprised to find it useful in the majority of general driving that I do, even in low speed limits in urban areas. I was also surprised to find that, if anything, it improved my situational awareness, as I can now maintain a speed limit cruise without more than cursory attention to the speedo needle, freeing up that little extra attention for what's going on around me. On the downside, it does emphasise the inability of WA drivers to maintain a steady speed, most varying by a good 10km/h above and below their chosen cruising gait for no apparent reason.

 

Whilst I've found that I like cruise control more than I thought I would, I don't regard it as a panacea for everything. It's another tool in the box, no more.

[57xx]

8 hours ago, Colin_McLeod said:

One can brake to a stop in neutral. Easy to go straight to the correct gear if acceleration becomes necessary.

 

Most people can't find their indicator stalk or know how to turn a steering wheel to move over to lane 1 on a motorway, let alone know what gear they are supposed to be in for any given road speed! I've always shifted down through the gears since being taught it on motorbike training  (long before I had a car). Rather than then having to spend a second or so thinking which gear I should shift to and then doing it, I'm already in that gear that the engine is happy with to be able to apply power. As my current car has a dual clutch automatic gearbox, I don't have much choice about it now, though I can usually pre-empt the down changes better than the computer by using the paddles which can make for a smoother ride.

[Enterprisingwestern]

19 hours ago, Colin_McLeod said:

I never did understand the need to change down through the gears when stopping.  I suspect it dates back to when brakes were not as good as today.

 

The thing with automatic cars is that the automatic gearbox senses that you have slowed down so it changes down. The gearbox can't distinguish between you slowing to a stop, and you slowing a bit but not stopping, and it assumes the latter.

 

The whole idea, to me at least, is that by being in the correct gear for the speed and situation you are in means you are taking more notice of your surroundings, an automatic gearbox does it for you so if circumstances change you can pull away immediately.

 

Mike.

[woodenhead]

15 hours ago, JDW said:

I tend to keep my foot gently resting on the accelerator when the cruise is on, as others have said this is better than having it on the floor or elsewhere if you need to brake suddenly or accelerate out of trouble. 

 

One important point if you're not used to using it though is that it should not be used in certain conditions, such as snow, ice or where there is or may be standing water (ie moderate to heavy rain) as if one wheel loses grip momentarily, the system cannot cope and could lead to a wheel spinning and causing the car to spin out of control when it regains traction. 

I forgot about that.

 

The more I think about it the less I want to use CC - needing a road with low volume of traffic so you're not constantly pausing it wth your brake and also dry conditions.

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

Cruise control is no longer a uniform thing. Adaptive cruise control is an ADAS feature (part of the trend to increasing autonomy).  Adaptive cruise control works in the presence of traffic and will slow the vehicle down if it encounters traffic ahead and some of them can initiate emergency braking.

 

I have a colleague with a set of ADAS features including adaptive cruise control. The system prevented an accident where, according to him, he did not have had the reaction time to stop in time.

 

I have rarely found traditional cruise control to be very useful. You essentially need a completely open road for it to be effective. It is useful in these cases, but I don't encounter that often.

Edited August 12, 2019 by Ozexpatriate

[jukebox]

I read this question on Friday, but actually wasn't sure where I put my right foot (!), so made a point of checking on the weekend.

 

Turns out, I rest mine on the floor in front of the pedals.

 

I tried the "resting on the accelerator" as suggested elsewhere here, my car's pedal spring doesn't offer enough resistance, and it means I involuntarily accelerate. 

 

Here in Western Australia, I have found cruise control in my new car brilliantly useful; having almost doubled the engine size from my last car, and found the first week I owned it that without paying attention, it will sit on the freeway at 150km/h  effortlessly,  it is always active when I drive, so as to save me demerit points and speeding fines.  In heavy traffic, I don't bother, but even on short runs, the ability to lock in 60-65km/h in built up areas is a bonus.

 

Your mileage may vary, as they say!

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[Pete the Elaner]

On 10/08/2019 at 17:31, peanuts said:

spoke with her instructer about why she wasnt being taught to go down through box on aproach to a junction told the new rule is gears to go brakes to slow ! save wear and tear on both lunacy 

Hardly new. I was taught that when I learned in 1990 & was given a very sensible reason for doing it:

 

Slowing using the brakes puts on the brake lights. Slowing with gears doesn't.

I have yet to find anyone with any sensible argument against that.

[Fenman]

43 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

Hardly new. I was taught that when I learned in 1990 & was given a very sensible reason for doing it:

 

Slowing using the brakes puts on the brake lights. Slowing with gears doesn't.

I have yet to find anyone with any sensible argument against that.

 

Like everything, the optimal way of driving depends on both your machine and the external conditions. 

 

Another way of looking at this is that in an ICE car, every time you have to brake you have wasted fuel (and money). 

 

I use CC every day. On busy roads I usually set it to a couple of mph below the speed limit, so I’m not constantly having to adjust to drivers in front speeding up then slowing down, seemingly at random (this is Norfolk). My feet are flat on the floor in front of the pedals. The car is DSG, so it’s anyway fantastically simple to drive.

 

Incidentally, I don’t understand why anyone other than a teenage petrolhead would still prefer manual cars - the most frequent argument I encounter against automatics is that you can’t bump-start them: but I last did that in 1978. It’s like preferring a car with a starting handle, because the starter motor might fail one day. I’m not even sure you can still bump-start modern cars with their pervasive electronics?

 

Paul

 

 

 

[kevinlms]

11 minutes ago, Fenman said:

 

 

 

Incidentally, I don’t understand why anyone other than a teenage petrolhead would still prefer manual cars - the most frequent argument I encounter against automatics is that you can’t bump-start them: but I last did that in 1978. It’s like preferring a car with a starting handle, because the starter motor might fail one day. I’m not even sure you can still bump-start modern cars with their pervasive electronics?

 

Paul

 

 

 

No big deal starting automatics. If you're worried about starting them, just carry a decent set of jump leads at all times and know how to use them safely. Then you are prepared and almost any other vehicle can help you get going.

I had to do that on my automatic car, just last month and got it going in no time. In the location it was (my driveway - I left the interior light on for too long!), push starting was not possible - from the bottom of a steep driveway and around a 90 degree bend. Try that for size!

[Reorte]

On 10/08/2019 at 17:31, peanuts said:

spoke with her instructer about why she wasnt being taught to go down through box on aproach to a junction told the new rule is gears to go brakes to slow ! save wear and tear on both lunacy 

 

Someone told me a little while ago engine braking down hills isn't taught any more either, which might explain why every time I go down a hill I seem to be following someone permanently showing their brake lights. Apparently this is OK because brakes are reliable enough anyway these days. Sounds like madness to me, compared to being in a position where the car isn't going to roll away anyway (or at least nowhere near as fast) - you're simply in more control using the engine to hold you back.

 

On cruise control, just have my foot sat on the floor nearby. I do wonder if nudging the clutch to turn it off when needed is a bad idea though (I don't have adaptive cruise and don't really like the idea of driving a car that does what it wants rather than what I tell it to).

[Pete the Elaner]

56 minutes ago, Fenman said:

Incidentally, I don’t understand why anyone other than a teenage petrolhead would still prefer manual cars - the most frequent argument I encounter against automatics is that you can’t bump-start them: but I last did that in 1978. It’s like preferring a car with a starting handle, because the starter motor might fail one day. I’m not even sure you can still bump-start modern cars with their pervasive electronics?

 

 

 

 

Interesting comment.

As my name suggests, I sometimes drive a Lotus. They don't make autos.

 

There are other advantages to manuals though.

When something goes wrong, you can still drive a part-faulty manual. You could have lost a gear or a part could be worn. An auto will stop working before a manual become unusable.

Autos are more reliable than in the past but a repair would still be more expensive than to a manual.

 

When driving, you can pre-empt a manual: When approaching a roundabout, it is usual to select the correct gear before you need it. An auto is reactive, so you need to tell it (by accelerating) that you want a different gear. This hesitation can be annoying.

Likewise on a busy dual carriageway, you can drop a gear before changing lanes, so when you want to pull out & accelerate, the power is immediate. I have driven a fairly modern 7-speed auto. Its response & changing times are impressive but still not as good as pre-emptive changing.

I know many have an override for this but it is a manual action. I have used this before then the auto has engaged kickdown, dropping me 2 gears before quickly changing up again. 

It is not like I have to consciously think about changing gear anyway. It becomes sub-conscious very quickly.

 

..but I have driven an auto along London's Embankment at rush hour on a Friday afternoon. The ideal situation for it.

[Nick C]

On 10/08/2019 at 17:08, peanuts said:

my partner who has recently passed her test this is what they are taught now at traffic lights 1st gear foot on clutch hand brake on . also taught to run upto the lights in top gear then change to first when stationery madness !

I did the IAM Roadsmart advanced driving course last year, and they too teach "Stop in the gear you're in" - apparently this has been the standard teaching (bear in mind their course is based on the police one) for at least a decade. It took me ages to get out of the habit of changing down as I went though! The logic is largely that brakes are much cheaper to replace than clutches...

 

They don't suggest leaving it in gear at the lights though, It was stop, apply handbrake, neutral, clutch up, then as the lights are about to change, clutch down, first, ready to release handbrake when the green appears.

[Reorte]

1 hour ago, Fenman said:

Incidentally, I don’t understand why anyone other than a teenage petrolhead would still prefer manual cars - the most frequent argument I encounter against automatics is that you can’t bump-start them: but I last did that in 1978. It’s like preferring a car with a starting handle, because the starter motor might fail one day. I’m not even sure you can still bump-start modern cars with their pervasive electronics?

 

I prefer manuals because I dislike automating anything that works perfectly well manually. I just don't see the point of automatics, changing gear is hardly a faff to the point where it's pretty much subconscious. I think the same about various other automatic car functions - devices to save me all the strain of very infrequently flicking a switch leave me shaking my head (and sometimes they don't even work very well - no intermittent wiper setting in my car, just an auto one that doesn't work as well as intermittent in light rain).

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

Hardly new. I was taught that when I learned in 1990 & was given a very sensible reason for doing it:

 

Slowing using the brakes puts on the brake lights. Slowing with gears doesn't.

I have yet to find anyone with any sensible argument against that.

 

My sensible argument.

If you need to see brake lights to notice a car in front of you is slowing you shouldn't be driving a car in the first place IMHO.

It's called observation.

 

Mike.

[Colin_McLeod]

It's also called protection against the idiot behind you.

[Phil Parker]

8 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

My sensible argument.

If you need to see brake lights to notice a car in front of you is slowing you shouldn't be driving a car in the first place IMHO.

It's called observation.

 

This may be true, but it's no consolation when you are looking at the back of your car stoved in by someone who was momentarily distracted, or an idiot.