# Cruise Control Minimum Speeds

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-control-minimum-speeds/691021>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 17, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-control-minimum-speeds/691021 "2014-06-17T23:53:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![RiCu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@RiCu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiCu)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-control-minimum-speeds/691021/21 "2014-06-20T08:06:10Z")

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The cruise control in my Volvo can be set to follow the car in front at a certain time interval based distance, and will automatically brake/accelerate to maintain that gap (up to a set maximum speed).

Interestingly (for this thread at least) it can be set at any speed, as long as you have a car in front for it to follow. If there’s no car in front, it cannot be set to less than 20mph.

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**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-control-minimum-speeds/691021/22 "2014-06-20T09:43:59Z")

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When motorways were introduced to the UK back in the 60s, some truck drivers made their own cruise control. This was usually a broom handle (or similar) cut to the right length to hold the throttle down to the floor. If you had to slow down, you just kicked it off.

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