Speed Limit sign detection - room for improvement

[eStang]

After putting 1600+ mostly highway miles on my car, there are a few items that I feel need improvement. [Ford engineering folks - please note the feedback here. Thanks!]

1. I would like the vehicle to acknowledge and de-accelerate to lower speed limits at the following interval set for the Intelligent cruise control. Some speed-trappy jurisdictions want you at the lower speed when you pass the sign, not after it. (When the speed limit is increasing, waiting until I pass the sign is what I expect.)

2. I had several occasions where I was cruising along at 70 or 75 posted speed, but the car "saw" a 45 speed limit sign on the frontage road. Not a good look among fellow travelers when to be dropping anchor in the middle lane. (In fairness, I'm not exactly sure how the software would learn to ignore those "out of bounds" signs, but if a human can do it, the car has to learn too.)

3. In Illinois along the rural interstates they have a 2 tier speed limit, and the car does not properly ignore the limit signs for buses. An example is attached here. The signage pattern is such that the general speed limit sign is posted first, and then about 2000 feet further on, the sign for the buses limit is posted. So, in the absence of manual intervention, the car would run at 65 most of the time, then try to move up to 70 and then immediately drop back to 65. Manually overriding it is annoying.

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[generaltso]

I think Adaptive Cruise Control is a better fit for highway driving since the speed limits are usually fairly constant. I see Intelligent Cruise Control as better suited for state roads where the speed limits are constantly going up and down as you drive through towns.

 

[tangme]

I agree, I started out with the intelligent cruise control but it picked up way to many of the BUS speed limits and the Truck speed limits. I also live in Illinois.

Another thing I believe needs changed, or maybe I'm just doing it wrong, but on my trip I planned with Ford Pass, once I plugged into the DC charger when I was done, the trip was no longer loaded in the nav system. I had to go in and select it again to get back on the road with navigation.

 

[eStang]

I agree, I started out with the intelligent cruise control but it picked up way to many of the BUS speed limits and the Truck speed limits. I also live in Illinois.

Another thing I believe needs changed, or maybe I'm just doing it wrong, but on my trip I planned with Ford Pass, once I plugged into the DC charger when I was done, the trip was no longer loaded in the nav system. I had to go in and select it again to get back on the road with navigation.

I experienced this also. I had to keep restarting the trip if the vehicle was turned off. Not practical nav behavior with long stops.

 

[MurphyDog]

I don’t believe you! It’s perfect. The car wants you to drive faster.

(It was actually a 55mph zone)

 

[dml105]

I don’t believe you! It’s perfect. The car wants you to drive faster.

(It was actually a 55mph zone)

This happened to me too, on busy I-95 in Virginia. (“Why is the car gunning it?!?!”)

 

[Ma9573]

After putting 1600+ mostly highway miles on my car, there are a few items that I feel need improvement. [Ford engineering folks - please note the feedback here. Thanks!]

1. I would like the vehicle to acknowledge and de-accelerate to lower speed limits at the following interval set for the Intelligent cruise control. Some speed-trappy jurisdictions want you at the lower speed when you pass the sign, not after it. (When the speed limit is increasing, waiting until I pass the sign is what I expect.)

2. I had several occasions where I was cruising along at 70 or 75 posted speed, but the car "saw" a 45 speed limit sign on the frontage road. Not a good look among fellow travelers when to be dropping anchor in the middle lane. (In fairness, I'm not exactly sure how the software would learn to ignore those "out of bounds" signs, but if a human can do it, the car has to learn too.)

I'd actually rather have the car decelerate slower when detecting speed limit changes. Right now when going from 65 to 55 or 50 on the highway it basically slams the breaks, and it can be a little jarring. Maybe have the adjustment in speed take place over like 1/8 of a Mile instead of 200 feet lol. I understand that their are speed traps out there, but I've never personality seen a cop hanging within a 1/4 mile of a posted speed limit change.

I do a lot of freeway driving, so I've gotten used to just keeping an eye out for the slower speed limits and just hitting the + button as I feel the car decelerating to compensate, and then gradually lowering the speed with the - button to get back to my +6mph over the limit setting. Doesn't happen too often so not a huge deal though right now. But when the update for Co-Pilot 360 gets rolled out later in the year I hope they can account for this.

Definitely agree about the mixed speed zones for different vehicles, and I'll add that it sometimes reads the exit lane speed limits and with throttle the car's speed accordingly to those. Happened in a rental car I had as well, so this may be something that takes time to iron out.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

This happened to me too, on busy I-95 in Virginia. (“Why is the car gunning it?!?!”)

Undocumented Tesla detector. Overrides all speed limiting factors.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I've had the issue of frontage road signs. I haven't noticed problems when he frontage road speed signs are to the right of their lanes but have when they place those signs between the direct and frontage lanes.

I had one incident when the car suddenly accelerated when I passed a road sign. I was on Florida's State Road 84 -- suddenly the ICC was set for 84. Fortunately I was already doing 70 at the time.

 

[EV Lab]

I don’t believe you! It’s perfect. The car wants you to drive faster.

(It was actually a 55mph zone)

This happened to me too, on 17 going through Scott's Valley CA.

 

[RJoz]

Happened to me repeatedly in Houston on Sunday...cruising along at 72 mph - then all the sudden dropped to 45 mph cruise setting. Finally figured out it was the frontage road signs. I'm turning this off for the time being as this is a safety issue.

 

[benk016]

There is a section of highway on my commute to work. the speed limit is 65. Most people travel 75-80. But there is one area where the car drops to 45 every single time. And there is no speed limit sign anywhere that says 45 on it. I don't know where it gets that from.

Other than that most of my irritations have been frontage roads or off ramps that it reads the sign for that and slows me down.

Its almost gotten to the point i'm ready to turn it off completely its so annoying.

 

[Mirak]

I've had the issue of frontage road signs. I haven't noticed problems when he frontage road speed signs are to the right of their lanes but have when they place those signs between the direct and frontage lanes.

Yes, me too. It seems to only be the frontage signs right next to the highway that cause the issues. Why did they even post the sign there in the first place? There’s probably a reason buried in that big traffic safety standards book but it would seem to me that signs ought to be posted on the right side even on a one-way frontage. I dunno - maybe the frontage is three lanes at that point or something and that requires a sign on the left.

 

[Maquis]

I don’t believe you! It’s perfect. The car wants you to drive faster.

(It was actually a 55mph zone)

My car wanted me to go 85 just like this - except I was in a 35! Fortunately, I did not have cruise engaged at the time.

 

[Spock151]

I had the random slowdown with cruise on the other day on I-80 in Sacramento, 65 zone but cruise picked up the 20 sigh for the light rail station... 27 mph on the interstate... fun!

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