There’s an old wives’ tale in some parts of Australia that it’s illegal to use cruise control if you’re an L driver.
- Learners should learn all the functions of the vehicle
- This may not be recommended, but it is not illegal for L class drivers to use cruise control
- As long as the driver complies with all other regulations, it’s fine
There is no legal suggestion for that case. In fact, when it comes to driver safety and the safety of all road users, learner use of cruise control can be considered a good thing.
Cruise control is essentially designed to make long-distance driving less tiring, with the advantage that the driver can exit the destination without breaking any speeding and air pollution laws. comfortable atmosphere because they will not have to do any unnecessary work with their right foot.
However, on modern cars, cruise control systems vary widely, and with the growing push for autonomous vehicles even more can accelerate, brake, steer, park and – if you believe Elon Musk – full self-driving, the argument can be made that L-drivers are not learning to drive but rather driving the same vehicle.
If you don’t know, there are different types of cruise control. Here’s a layman’s summary.
The most common and most basic type will allow you to set the speed at which you want to travel and the vehicle will maintain that speed (within reason).
A more advanced type of cruise control is adaptive or radar-based cruise control, which allows drivers to set the distance they want to maintain between their vehicle and the vehicle in front. If the vehicle in front slows down or brakes suddenly, the vehicle behind must essentially mimic the movements of the leading vehicle.
Currently, there are differences between adaptive cruise control systems, including that some have so-called ‘traffic jam’ or ‘stop and go’ technology, which essentially allows the vehicle to come to a complete stop. completely and then rebooted without any difference. driver intervention.
Other versions require the driver to press a button on the steering wheel or press the accelerator to start at the initial set speed (however, when participating in traffic, the car will still judge how fast it should go based on the speed of vehicles ahead).
And yet another type of adaptive cruise control will – rather worryingly – stop working when the speed drops to a certain point. There’s nothing like driving along a multi-lane road and relying on the car to maintain your speed and distance, only for it to decide that it’s not working at speeds lower than 30km. /h, as happened to me before. .
Other cruise control systems can even adjust their speed according to speed limit signs, simply by pressing a button on the steering wheel. And there are even some that will automatically adjust to the speed limit posted to you without intervention (this is often called Smart Cruise Control).
And there are newer cars with cruise control systems that are linked to map data and will change the car’s speed based on where the map thinks you are.
I’ve had one of those situations myself – driving at the 80km/h speed limit in a Sydney tunnel, the luxury car I was in decided to think it was driving on the roads. surface road above, and hit the brakes when the car “thinks” it is a 40km/h school zone.
Furthermore, some new vehicles may have an unrenovated “smart” cruise control system that will slow the vehicle when entering corners or curves in the road, even when the speed limit is limited. The recommended speed on the sign is higher than the speed you have set.
And these high-tech systems can still make mistakes. I have driven cars that displayed a speed limit on the driver information screen of 110km/h, however the actual limit on the residential road I was driving was 50km/h.
On the positive side for modern cruise control systems, many systems now offer speed limiters that allow the driver to set a speed they do not want to exceed. For L-recorders and P-recorders, it can be a great technology to ensure they don’t break the law.
Indeed, there are a number of circumstances where peak bodies advise drivers not to use cruise control. The Royal Automobile Association of South Australia suggests that it is best practice NOT to use cruise control when the speed limit is 60km/h or less, when cornering or when you are drowsy.
So, no, it is not illegal for learner drivers to use cruise control. But it will be up to the person with the L number plate and the person sitting next to them – be it a parent, sibling, relative or driving instructor – to ensure that it is used properly, safely and intelligent.
Not intended as legal advice. Check with the relevant roads authority in your state or territory.
THAN: What is the speed limit for L plate?
THAN: What is the speed limit for P plate?
