[q96]

Hi everybody,

I just bought my new car (a 2008 e91 330d). It has the active cruise control. I tried it last week end and I have a question to other active cruise control user.
When I put the cruise control and when I define it to the minimal distance I still have something like 2/3 cars between me and the car in front of me on the motorway. It gives the filling that you stay far from the guy in front of you. Everybody on the road don't understand it.
Is it the same for you or can you reduce more the distance between you and the car in front of me ?

Thanks for your experiences...

Rico

[swestland85]

Somewhere you are able to change this setting, try to look in the manual and find for the distance option. There are 3 levels as far as I know.

[RipsE92]

You want to get closer then 2 or 3 cars?? What do you want to be ... right on his ass?


Maintain a Safe Following Distance (The 3 Second Rule)

Good Weather - During daylight with good, dry roads and low traffic volume, you can ensure you're a safe distance from the car ahead of you by following the "three-second rule." The distance changes at different speeds. To determine the right following distance, first select a fixed object on the road ahead such as a sign, tree or overpass. When the vehicle ahead of you passes the object, slowly count "one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand." If you reach the object before completing the count, you're following too closely. Making sure there are three seconds between you and the car ahead gives you time and distance to respond to problems in the lane ahead of you.

Inclement Weather, Heavy Traffic, or Night-Time Driving - In heavy traffic, at night, or when weather conditions are not ideal (eg. light rain, light fog, light snow), double the three second rule to six seconds, for added safety.

Poor Weather - If the weather conditions are very poor, eg. heavy rain, heavy fog, or heavy snow, start by tripling the three second rule to nine seconds to determine a safe following distance.

Tailgating - Following a vehicle too closely is called 'tailgating'. Tailgating is an agressive driving behaviour that is easily mistaken for road rage. Use the three-second rule to avoid tailgating. Most rear end collisions are caused by the vehicle in back following too closely. If someone is tailgating you, move to another lane or turn off the road as soon as possible and allow the tailgating vehicle to pass.

[q96]

it's funny I was waiting for this logical answer. I should have precised that I don't necessarily want to be "right in the ass" of the car in front of me. But the thing is usually when you drive without active cruise control, people do drive a bit closer (again even without going right in the ass of the car in front of you) just to show that you go faster and that the person should go on the right to let you go (it's perhaps specific to France!?). So I just wanted to share others experience.

I tried all the levels available in the car to see what can be done, I tried the best one..

[GmanJeff]

The gap between cars, even at the "closest" setting, is still a bit more than I probably would maintain without cruise control, and is more than most drivers maintain in the normal flow of traffic. Still, I assume it's for safety reasons; the design errs on the side of more, rather than less, distance. Even though I'd prefer it to be a bit more aggressive, the system finally makes cruise control actually useful on roads with other vehicles.

[BMWFM]

Can't change it. But the lowest distance is actually a safe one. All the other cars should actually respect this distance. If they really knew how to drive safely.
In Europe, bands on the highway indicate safety distances. 2 bands = ok. It actually corresponds to several cars. Your reaction time to hard brake is about 1 second. Then the car will need a few more car lengths to stop.

I know what you mean though. It is infuriating to see people trying to pass in traffic because they think you are driving slow. Where you are just keeping up with traffic, just letting the active cruise manage the distance. They are just unsafe idiots. Keep calm and let active cruise work it out.

It is actually a great system. Pretty smooth compared to others. Have you noticed it will accelerate if you use a turn signal to pass on the left, but not if you pass on the right?
It also works well under harsh weather. Also test the proximity warning (red) so that you are not too surprised if it pops up when a car inserts itself or if you try to pass overriding the safety distance and get too close to a car.

Enjoy

FM

[BMWFM]

Originally Posted by RipsE92

Tailgating - Following a vehicle too closely is called 'tailgating'. Tailgating is an agressive driving behaviour that is easily mistaken for road rage. Use the three-second rule to avoid tailgating. Most rear end collisions are caused by the vehicle in back following too closely. If someone is tailgating you, move to another lane or turn off the road as soon as possible and allow the tailgating vehicle to pass.

Or just turn on the rear fog lights. That usually confuses them.


FM

[darkphantom]

That 3 second rule only applies for humans...since I reaction time is shit....

Active Cruise is computer controlled i.e. split second braking and response.

Not sure OP but I wish I had gotten that sometimes....oh well...that's what my right foot is for, braking!