hoonunya

Enquiring minds want to know what the distances are for laser cruise control settings. Ok, maybe only a few, but somebody is wondering.
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/t...iseControl.pdf says the distances for laser cruise control are as follows:

“The distance settings are: long (approximately 245 feet), medium
(approximately 165 feet), and short (approximately 100 feet) while traveling at 55 miles
per hour.”

While this comes from a 2009 press release, the same info is found dated 2006 at
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forum...ruise-control/

Websites from Honolulu to New Zealand recommend a safe following distance of 2 seconds. The Smith System recommends 4 seconds, but others use 4 seconds for large trucks and 2 seconds for cars.

55 mph and 2 seconds gives a distance covered of 161 feet or the mid range on laser cruise.
So if you , like me, think the mid range is too far, then you are tailgating.

Many of us non-youngsters were taught 1 car length per 10 miles per hour. So 55 mph and 2 seconds give 9.8 car lengths while we were taught 5.5 car lengths. 70 mph and 2 seconds gives 205 feet or 12.5 car lengths.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

i know i'm not the only one who drives in heavy city traffic whether it be at 10mph crawls or 75mph bumper to bumper episodes. i can honestly attest that if there is anything greater than 2 car lengths that someone will fill the gap while driving in the dc metro area which forces most people to tailgate like no ones business. fight or flight, right?

i too was taught the 1 car length per 10mph but i don't think that applies to city commutes/races!! rubbin' is racin right?? i don't agree with it, but you have to do it to survive at times. but i think the 100 feet sounds a little excessive for the short distance setting but i know that it left way way way to much space for the nascar drivers i have to deal with on a daily basis.

AlexusAnja

With "modern" drivers and their more aggressive driving, along with cars with better brakes and handling, I would say the old "2 second" rule if applied will result in constantly getting cut off and you'd end up not getting anywhere. It's just a "fact" of today's driving that if you leave enough space (and sometimes not enough) for a car to fit in, someone will attempt to fit in.

I always have the active cruise set to 'closest' and still find it maintains too far a gap. A safe gap yes, but not when you're in heavy volume and people keep cutting in and tripping the cruise to brake.

hoonunya

The reason that I started looking for the distance settings for the cruise was that we have a safety message at work based on the Smith System. That thing calls for a 4 second gap from the car in front of you.
I thought that since Lexus is so lawyer driven (Nav block while moving) that the setting may be in the 4 second range.
I was surprised that the middle setting is close to the 2 seconds that most car safety advocates preach.
I agree that you'd get nowhere if you maintained a 2 second gap in any traffic.
If you used the Smith System (4 secs) at 70 mph you'd leave a 411 foot gap or 25 car lengths. I don't know where those guys drive, maybe Wyoming.
I personally always put it on the shortest range and agree that is often too far and way too far in cities.
Approximate settings vs. time
closest 1.25 seconds
middle 2 seconds
long 3 seconds
I think if the legal department knew they would probably "fix" it to the detriment of all users.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

good info, sad but true, i wish i could modify mines to make a even closer 'dc' setting.

CG lover

just reading latest GEICO Insurance magazine that arrive yesterday and they indicate three (3) seconds as a minimum distance,, more if your reaction time is slowed by AGE,

Derry

AlexusAnja

Maybe in an alternate universe where bad is good, and aggressive is courteous, we can all drive with a 3 second gap. In our world... I don't think so. I'm sure Geico would like everyone to maintain a 5 seconds gap, but they'd be laughed off the planet, so they figured 3 seconds might be more sensible.

Maybe in the middle of America where cars are few and far apart, you can maintain a 3 second gap, but anywhere close to even resembling the coast, at rush hour, close to 9:00am, you'd be lucky to maintain a .25 second gap without someone cutting in front of you to get to the next lane over.

Yes, in a perfect world, everyone would be nice and courteous, not be in a rush and just drive slowly... very very slow... so that we all don't get into accidents. Until Utopia is upon us, it's all mad drivers for themselves...

Lawrenzo

You lost me when you started doing the math . I just woke up from taking a nap on my lunch

I love my laser guided cruise control, though. GREAT on the road trips (Just drove from Houston, TX to Cali and back, two weeks ago). I'm about to drive out to Houston from Dallas in three hours Car is awesome on the long trips.

hoonunya

In my perfect world everyone is using laser cruise control set at 5 mph over the speed limit.