In this literature survey little evidence is found of studies primarily investigating the road safety effects of cruise control. Those effects which were examined (mainly through practical tests with and without cruise control) showed that in addition to positive effects governing individual fuel consumption, cruise control was also likely to cause positive road safety effects. This was linked to the fact that: (1) drivers would have fewer tasks to perform; (2) they would be driving at lower average speeds; and (3) that the traffic flow would be more `stable'. On theoretical grounds, these studies anticipate a significant road safety effect following the general introduction of cruise control on motorways in the form of cruise control on motorways in the form of a 50 per cent reduction in the number of fatal accidents involving passenger cars. This dramatic effect is linked to the calculation that the widespread introduction of cruise control would slightly reduce average speeds and significantly reduce the distribution of speeds on these road types. This would result in fewer changes of lane, less overtaking and less braking, all of which would cause fewer accidents. One possible specific application of cruise control is in cars towing caravans, for which comfort and road safety are important factors.
Samenvatting