It's getting toward that time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when people who can still afford fuel traditionally take road trips by automobile. Good time to learn How Cruise Control Systems Work, IMHO.
Cruise control is far more common on North American cars than European cars, because the roads in America are generally bigger and straighter, and destinations are farther apart. (Straight from HSW.com)
Cruise control engages at a minimum of 25-30 mph (about 37-44 km/h) for safety reasons. Think about it...most neighborhoods have a speed limit of 25 mph. Why would you be cruising through a neighborhood with children and pets potentially running out into the...Oh HECK no! That's not Evil...that's just evil.
The key to cruise control is its operation of the throttle to speed up or slow down. The article goes on about all these cables and computery bits, but you and I know when cruise control adjusts for hills and when you tap the buttons to go up or down 1 mph or km/h is all really managed by GNOMES JOYOUSLY CAVORTING IN THE SYSTEM.
The article really is pretty cool. Share with the youth in your family before your next long car trip. You won't get there any faster, but it may keep things quiet for a little while.
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