What are Cruise Control and Speed Limiter?
3 Answers
Cruise control system, also known as speedostat or autonomous cruise control, automatically maintains the vehicle's speed as set by the driver without requiring accelerator pedal input, allowing the car to travel at a constant speed. Speed limiter ensures the vehicle operates within the driver-set speed range to prevent speeding. Additional details: 1. Cruise control is most common. Basic operation involves activating cruise mode, selecting the desired speed (enabling throttle release while maintaining speed), and adjusting velocity via control buttons/lever. Cancellation occurs by braking or switching off the system. Key feature: Complete foot relief, allowing hand control of both steering and throttle adjustment. 2. Speed limiter closely resembles cruise control, but crucially requires maintaining accelerator pedal pressure after setting the limit. Upon reaching the preset speed, the ECU automatically regulates fuel injection - only aggressive pedal depression overrides this, as slight throttle increases have no effect.
As someone who frequently drives on highways, I can talk about the differences between cruise control and speed limiter. Cruise control allows you to set a specific speed, say 110 km/h, and the car will automatically maintain that speed without you needing to press the accelerator, making it ideal for long highway drives. Speed limiter, on the other hand, is completely different. You set a maximum speed limit, like 80 km/h in the city, and no matter how much you press the accelerator, the car won't exceed this limit, which is extremely useful for preventing speeding. I often use the speed limiter on urban expressways to avoid getting tickets, saving the cruise control for highways. Many people think they're the same, but their operating logic is completely opposite—one automatically maintains speed, while the other restricts the maximum speed.
I remember when I first started driving, I couldn't tell the difference between cruise control and speed limiter. Later I figured out that cruise control is like an autopilot assist - you set the speed and the car maintains it by controlling the throttle, giving your right foot a rest on highways. The speed limiter is more like putting a restraint on your car - you set a maximum speed and it won't exceed that even if you floor the accelerator, which feels especially reassuring on wet roads. Once when driving on suburban mountain roads with a 60km/h limit, I activated this function to avoid speeding - though I still needed to press the accelerator, I didn't have to worry about exceeding the limit. Nowadays, new cars usually integrate both functions in the same button cluster on the steering wheel for easy switching.
