Adaptive cruise control, sometimes abbreviated as ACC, has become more commonplace today. While autonomous systems like ACC can make us immediately think of a future with driverless cars, that possibility is still a long way off. A feature like ACC is geared more toward increasing the safety of everyday cars versus a futuristic world of self-driving machines.

In this guide you?ll learn how ACC works, along with the advantages and disadvantages. If you are considering a car with adaptive cruise control, or currently have the feature but have never used it, then read on. We will answer some of the most common questions concerning adaptive cruise control.

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control"

Adaptive cruise control is a form of intelligent cruise control, also known as active cruise control, autonomous cruise control, smart cruise control, and radar cruise control. A radar sensor is installed on the car?s front grille, which can sense how close or far away the vehicle in front is. By sensing this distance, the car will “adapt” its cruise control speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.
Drivers can set the interval from the steering wheel at how close (or how far away) they want to be from the vehicle in front. ACC will apply the brakes in traffic relative to the set distance the driver specifies. Those who drive more defensively may want it on the farthest setting so the gap between cars in front is wider.

More advanced syste...