We regularly have to drive round a gravel track and across grass at a caravan park - at a max speed of 5mph. On the open road, I tend to employ cruise control at every opportunity - but then, I am normally in top gear and doing 60+. 

 

I've never actually got round to trying it out, but does anyone know if it's OK to use cruise control in first or second gear?

 

Thanks.

My previous car would only engage CC at 30mph or above, not sure if its the same for Skodas.

When my nearest and dearest are at caravan parks or any such place with gravel tracks and grass i do hope that drivers have full control of their vehicles and are paying particular attention to just touching the accelerator and are ready to apply the brakes.

1 hour ago, StEdmund said:

at a max speed of 5mph.

Not the foggiest, but that is about idle speed in first gear, which will be sustained by the idle controller on most electronic injection systems.

37 minutes ago, e-Roottoot said:

When my nearest and dearest are at caravan parks or any such place with gravel tracks and grass i do hope that drivers have full control of their vehicles and are paying particular attention to just touching the accelerator and are ready to apply the brakes.

 I was thinking of the slowest, smoothest glide across a slightly bouncy surface; I was not contemplating letting the car take over while I had a wash and shave.

You would be best trying then if CC operated,

or see if the anti-stall is enough if keeping a steady foot is an issue.

According to the owner's manual for my car (version 2020/07):

 

Speed range
Depending on the equipment, ACC allows a speed setting in the range of 30-160 or 30-210 km/h.

If control is started at a speed of less than 30 km/h on vehicles with an automatic transmission, the speed is automatically increased to 30 km/h or controlled according to the speed of the vehicle ahead.

 

30 kph is around 18mph, and so if the car accelerates to that speed if you engage the cruise control at a slower speed, using it on a camp site is definitely NOT advised

 

The speed limiter also only works from 30kph, so I'd suggest your best option is to drive on idle at walking pace.  

 

Chris 

 

 

I'll be over there on Tuesday, so I'll just try on idle. My recollection (probably wrong) from crawling through road works on the A14, was that idle in 1st gear was too slow and 2nd gear was too fast. It's not a big deal, I just wondered if there was a smoother way of doing things.

If 1st was too slow and 2nd gear was too fast then surely that would be the same if the cruise control was functioning.

 

5mph is slow,

usually below the speed that the doors will autolock which is at 6mph.

 

 

Edited 19 April, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

Also ISTR that a 5mph "speed limit" is actually legally unenforceable because it is below the minimum speed that a lot of speedometers will register anything other "needle on the low end stop" at.

If a private land / caravan and camping site owner wants to post a 5mph max speed limit they can.  Even if many find it difficult to keep such a low speed with a solo vehicle or one towing the driver's have surely been given notice that they need to drive really really slowly.   If they have an issue then maybe that is not the place for them to go. 

Oh, Lordy, I am not talking of 'legality' and I do not have an issue with the requirement for 5mph - 'struth, my own grandchildren could be wandering about there. My question was merely about tips for smooth driving at very low speeds - and I understand now that this is not possible by incorporating cruise control or speed limiter. If you see the description at the side of my posts, you will notice that the car is an early 1.5tsi and, whilst it has had the software updates, it is still not the most refined at very low speeds in first gear.

1 hour ago, StEdmund said:

My question was merely about tips for smooth driving at very low speeds

As was my original reply, based on idle in first being the best steady low speed pretty much any car can achieve.

1 hour ago, e-Roottoot said:

a private land / caravan and camping site owner wants to post a 5mph max speed limit they can.

I never said otherwise; what I said was that this limit is legally unenforceable, that is that any attempt to prosecute (criminal or civil law) for, say 8mph in a 5mph zone will fail, so as long as you are driving carefully don't sweat it!

Nobody really thinks it would be or needs to think about prosecution.   

The site owner might just ask a customer or visitor to reduce their speed, or even to not be a customer and bog off.

They might have some T&C in their bookings.

 

 

It's "legally enforceable" in that the landowner can legally ban the offender from using the land. 

 

Gerrouta my pub!

How would said land owner know you are doing 5 or 8 ? Given said land owner wouldn't have an approved speed measuring device, police wouldn't get involved because it's on private property etc etc.

Basically said land owner would be hard pressed legally enforcing said speed limit. Yes an inference is given you will follow the posted speed limit, however good luck trying to enforce it.

The OP isn't wanting to drive faster than the limit!  Whether it's enforceable or not is utterly irrelevant.

 

3 hours ago, StEdmund said:

Oh, Lordy, I am not talking of 'legality' and I do not have an issue with the requirement for 5mph - 'struth, my own grandchildren could be wandering about there. My question was merely about tips for smooth driving at very low speeds

 

 

@whitevx  The owners /management likely want to cover their backsides and can say to anyone acting like a d!ck that they are going too fast.

Most people know buy looking at a vehicle if it is just ticking over and keeping to a low speed.

 

What you go on a track at as a speed and what you drive across the grass at might be rather different.

Really slow if it requires driving between other spaces to get to yours.

 

I do not think i have ever seen a posted speed less than 10 mph and that is a speed that many on a push bike might exceed.

 

I like signs like 'Slow Children'. which is a shame. 

Or 'Slow the animals can not read'. 

Edited 19 April, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

I’m a great fan of cruise. Normal not ACC. Use it all the time.

 

I think the minimum cruise control speed on my Bear is around 16mph. From memory.

 

I doubt if it will work down at 5mph.

 

I do know it works at 20 ish in these crazy new town limits.

All I was saying is that a person of reasonable firmness wouldn't be able to tell the difference between 5km/h and 8km/h.  I wasn't being argumentative at all. 

My line of work means I work in road related matters and hence know alot about speed and speed limits.

24 minutes ago, whitevx said:

My line of work means I work in road related matters and hence know alot about speed and speed limits.

 

These days, in order to be considered an authority on anything at all, you need to be a professor. Are you, by any chance, a professor of speed and speed limits? 

42 minutes ago, StEdmund said:

 

These days, in order to be considered an authority on anything at all, you need to be a professor. Are you, by any chance, a professor of speed and speed limits? 

In Australia thats not necessarily the case, however 17 years in law enforcement with multiple qualifications im deemed an expert and as such the courts take my qualifications for what they are.

 

Also as a qualified mechanic I've had cases where the courts/crown also take my qualifications and deem me an expert.

 

Anything else you would like to quiz me on or dispute ? 😀

@whitevx. You will have noticed that it was mph being discussed and not km/h.