Highway speed to dead stop traffic with Adaptive Cruise enabled --- do you trust it?

[TheVirtualTim]

The car recognizes speed signs but it does _not_ advertise that it recognizes any other sign. That includes stop signs and red lights. You are expected to monitor the road (that's why the nanny-cams are watching your eyes) and take care of that part of driving.

ADAS = Active Driver Assistance System. Emphasis on "assistance".

If I'm on a freeway and traffic is driving normally, I let the car drive with BlueCruise. If I'm not on a freeway and traffic is flowing ok, depending on the road and conditions I *might* let the car do adaptive cruise control.

But if I see stopped traffic ahead and I'm not following a car that has already started to gradually slow down, then I use the brakes and start gradually slowing down. I don't wait for the car to get close and then realize it needs to break hard.

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[Mach1E]

BC or any sort of adaptive cruise should be regularly monitored, and just like anything any other system in a car, it has a learning curve.

I do not use it to brake when there is stopped traffic in front of me, I take The wheel and brake. Once I come to a stop, I re-engage BC and have it set to a slow speed, bumping the speed up when there is movement, accordingly.

This is exactly how you’re supposed to use it.

All these things are drivers AIDS, none of them are supposed to take the place of you.

For adaptive cruise and BC, the “why not just wait and see if the car will brake for me” answer is simple:

You can see 2+ cars ahead. Your car cannot.

If you see something coming that the car is incapable of seeing, you SHOULD take over every time.

To the OP, please do not treat these systems like a toy to see if they work. This is how that works out:

 

[MachEMaster]

Anyone who allows Adaptive Cruise Control/BlueCruise in their MME to bring them from Highway Speeds, to Stopped Traffic, is Braver than I am!

 

[Mach-Lee]

Anyone else almost get into a collision every time they approach stopped traffic from highway speeds with Adaptive Cruise enabled? I dont really trust the car to stop in this scenario as it has been very close to a collision on multiple occasions. The times I have let it go from say 60 MPH with BlueCruise Hands-Free on, it will start blazing warning beeps at the last second, pops up with "Adaptive Cruise Disabled" in a red warning box and finally slams on the brakes abruptly just before impact. From my understanding this behavior has improved with BC 1.2 (I have 1.0), but this seems very unsafe. Anyone else have this issue? For reference, I usually have the maximum following distance set in Adaptive Cruise as well.

This is an improper and cavalier use of the system, don't do this! YOU MUST TAKE OVER WHEN APPROACHING STOPPED VEHICLES! The radar cannot detect stationary objects due to technical limitations (stopped vehicles look like the ground to the radar until you are very close to them). Detecting stopped vehicles while driving faster than 30 MPH requires vision AI, and is not currently a feature on the Mach-E in any BlueCruise version. Please carefully read the adaptive cruise control sensor limitations:

Again, there is nothing wrong, the system is not designed to detect stationary vehicles ahead. You must be locked on and following a car in front of you that comes to a stop, if there is nobody driving ahead of you, you must take over.

 

[Guss-E 2021]

Pretty much what all the others have said and warned. This is driver assistance not driver replacement. Ford has already said it has no interest in pursuing full autonomous vehicles. Hence why it sold off those assets.

Once you've stopped the vehicle behind stopped traffic then reengage BC. I was caught in heavy, slow moving bumper to bumper traffic on a spring road trip (I-95 South towards Boston). BC did a terrific job navigating through that. Even with all people cutting in and out of lanes. However, traffic rarely went faster than 40 mph the whole time; far more reaction time for both me and the car.

I tend to be very attentive when using ACC or BC because I like to note the conditions under which they work well and those they don't. Learn the cars limits.

 

[Auto Motive]

Anyone else almost get into a collision every time they approach stopped traffic from highway speeds with Adaptive Cruise enabled? I dont really trust the car to stop in this scenario as it has been very close to a collision on multiple occasions. The times I have let it go from say 60 MPH with BlueCruise Hands-Free on, it will start blazing warning beeps at the last second, pops up with "Adaptive Cruise Disabled" in a red warning box and finally slams on the brakes abruptly just before impact. From my understanding this behavior has improved with BC 1.2 (I have 1.0), but this seems very unsafe. Anyone else have this issue? For reference, I usually have the maximum following distance set in Adaptive Cruise as well.

I agree. Our model Y is so much better and can stay further back in traffic. It slows down better
then our GTPE. I use it all the time at my age.

 

[Cuddlecool]

The car has a brake pedal for a reason.

 

[ChasingCoral]

From my understanding Tesla vehicles used to have this issue, but it has been addressed in a recent update. Ford needs to do the same.

"from my understanding" = rumor

 

[ChasingCoral]

Anyone else almost get into a collision every time they approach stopped traffic from highway speeds with Adaptive Cruise enabled? I dont really trust the car to stop in this scenario as it has been very close to a collision on multiple occasions. The times I have let it go from say 60 MPH with BlueCruise Hands-Free on, it will start blazing warning beeps at the last second, pops up with "Adaptive Cruise Disabled" in a red warning box and finally slams on the brakes abruptly just before impact. From my understanding this behavior has improved with BC 1.2 (I have 1.0), but this seems very unsafe. Anyone else have this issue? For reference, I usually have the maximum following distance set in Adaptive Cruise as well.

Remember that Adaptive Cruise Control is an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Know the systems limitations and operate your vehicle accordingly.

 

[mpshizzle]

Me watching the op get roasted unnecessarily:

Yes yes. It's a driver assistant system. We all know that. That horse has been beat to death on so many threads

But yeah the car does not do well with slowing down unless there's a car within 3-4 car lengths of you. Anything more and it's completely oblivious to the situation.

Tesla's system is in fact MUCH better at slowing down in a reasonable distance. But it's not perfect at that either.

Mach E has the cameras and absolutely could use that to assist (assuming the image processor can handle that)

 

[Frebster]

Anyone else almost get into a collision every time they approach stopped traffic from highway speeds with Adaptive Cruise enabled? I dont really trust the car to stop in this scenario as it has been very close to a collision on multiple occasions. The times I have let it go from say 60 MPH with BlueCruise Hands-Free on, it will start blazing warning beeps at the last second, pops up with "Adaptive Cruise Disabled" in a red warning box and finally slams on the brakes abruptly just before impact. From my understanding this behavior has improved with BC 1.2 (I have 1.0), but this seems very unsafe. Anyone else have this issue? For reference, I usually have the maximum following distance set in Adaptive Cruise as well.

I had a similar experience on the Mass Pike a few months ago. Driving 70MPH then a warning for emergency stop. Took me by shock and I slammed in the brakes. I too expected it to slow down being on adaptive cruise. Anyway I cleaned by brake pads.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Yes yes. It's a driver assistant system.

I'm not so certain this is a correct assumption. It seems more like a RTFM moment to me.

 

[mpshizzle]

I had a similar experience on the Mass Pike a few months ago. Driving 70MPH then a warning for emergency stop. Took me by shock and I slammed in the brakes. I too expected it to slow down being on adaptive cruise. Anyway I cleaned by brake pads.

In my experience when there is an emergency stop it will start yelling at you but it will also slow itself down. Unless the situation warrants a full brake stomp, BC still stay engaged, it will flash the collision warning, and it will stop itself.

I've had a few situations where a full brake stomp was required and I took over and did so cause I didn't want to try it. I also have had situations where the car in front was slowing down at a moderately aggressive rate, but nothing that felt scary to me, but BC screamed about it and still brought me to a stop

 

[mpshizzle]

I'm not so certain this is a correct assumption. It seems more like a RTFM moment to me.

True. But the OP already had the poo scared out of em on the freeway. Guarantee they're not gonna do that again. No need for 10 strangers to roost them. They've got it. They're good ??

 

[ChehRob]

This is an improper and cavalier use of the system, don't do this! YOU MUST TAKE OVER WHEN APPROACHING STOPPED VEHICLES! The radar cannot detect stationary objects due to technical limitations (stopped vehicles look like the ground to the radar until you are very close to them). Detecting stopped vehicles while driving faster than 30 MPH requires vision AI, and is not currently a feature on the Mach-E in any BlueCruise version. Please carefully read the adaptive cruise control sensor limitations:

Again, there is nothing wrong, the system is not designed to detect stationary vehicles ahead. You must be locked on and following a car in front of you that comes to a stop, if there is nobody driving ahead of you, you must take over.

Have I learned something new?, Namely that Ford does not detect and help prevent hitting a pedestrian or bicyclist? My 2019 RAV4 does, and so does General Motors and Tesla. I am hoping that another system from Ford does that. This would be a game stopper for me buying a Mach E.

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