My latest car has adaptive cruise control. I love it. I love it to death.
As you know using regular cruise control on the interstates just isn’t practical. No matter what speed you set it to you either always have to slow up or slow down.
If I have my cruise at 80 and I’m zipping along in the passing lane, I can very easily move over, as necessary to the slow lane and my adaptive cruise control will automatically bring my car down to 60 mph while maintaining a very safe distance from the car in front of me.
When the left lane is free again, I move over, my cruise automatically takes me back to 80. Easy Peezy.
I’ve rented cars with adaptive cruise. Though I generally like it, the one challenge I had with it almost caused an accident.
To wit, I was behind a truck in the right lane and as soon as the next car passed me in the passing lane I pulled in behind him. I tend to do it with a foot or two between us, especially with a car going much faster than me. My car slammed on the brakes and I almost lost control - because it was utterly unanticipated by me, the driver. In fact, I thought something was defective until I thought it through and realized what had happened. The car just saw that bumper in front and said, “AHHH! We’re all gonna die! I’m too young to die!” And pretty much slammed on the brakes.