# Why does cruise control have an on/off switch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650 "2011-11-11T23:13:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/21 "2011-11-12T14:56:22Z")
No. Every Aussie car I have owned with cruise control works like this. You start the car. It isn’t on. At all. You are driving along and wish to set the cruise control at your current speed. You press the button. There is another button to bump the speed up, one to bump it down and one to disengage it. You can also hit a control pedal to stop it operating. ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/22 "2011-11-12T15:21:23Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > I don’t know what year Camry you have, but I found this image of a “Camry cruise control”: I have had two Camry’s, 1991 & 2003 and currently drive a 2009 Venza. They all work as described by yabob. If you leave the CC on but turn off the ignition, the CC stays off when you restart the engine. One thing I noticed, if I come to a stop, and then press Resume after I’m back to speed, it does not resume to the previous setting but set to the current speed instead. The first car that I had with CC, a 1982 Dodge, would resume to the previous speed even after a full stop, but obviously, not after a shut down, IIRC, it also did not have a seperate on/off switch. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/23 "2011-11-12T22:11:00Z")
In the 2010 Honda Civic which I drive, the cruise control remains on even after you shut off the engine. Of course you have to set it once you reach the desired speed. If you brake or accelerate, the setting is canceled until you hit “Resume Speed” button, but you have to be going at least 25 mph before either button works. The owner’s manual states that you can leave CC on all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/24 "2011-11-12T22:29:16Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > In the 2010 Honda Civic which I drive, the cruise control remains on even after you shut off the engine. Of course you have to set it once you reach the desired speed. If you brake or accelerate, the setting is canceled until you hit “Resume Speed” button, but you have to be going at least 25 mph before either button works. > > The owner’s manual states that you can leave CC on all the time. It shouldn’t be canceled if you accelerate\*. After accelerating, if you take your foot off the pedal the car should coast back down to the the set speed. When I drove to Florida I wasn’t used to the states that had 75 MPH speed limits and I routinely wind up with cars piled up behind me. What I did was to set the cruise to whatever the traffic was moving at (75-80ish) and then drive normally. As long as I didn’t tap the brake pedal the CC would keep me from going to slow. I’ve never had a car where the gas pedal cancels CC. It seems like that would make it harder to set, like having a machine where you have to hit and on and off button at the same time to turn it on. I can tell you for sure it doesn’t in my 2010 Insight which should be pretty much exactly the same as a 2010 Civic and it didn’t in my 2006 Civic. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/25 "2011-11-12T22:36:09Z")
From the 2010 Civic [Manual](http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/OM/NA1010/NA1010OM.pdf) (PDF) I can’t copy/paste it, but on page 211 it says you can cancel it by hitting the brake, clutch or pushing cancel. It’s odd that it doesn’t mention that you can cancel it by just hitting the Cruise on/off button as well. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/26 "2011-11-12T22:45:09Z")
Not having read the responses I don’t know if this has been mentioned. The reason for a on/off button on the cruise control is so you don’t accidentally engage the cruise. Especially since most cars now have the controls on the steering wheel. You wouldn’t want to be going down the road, let up on the gas and continue to keep moving at the same speed. You don’t make any device for a vehicle that can control said vehicle without a way for the user to know for sure he/she has engaged it. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/27 "2011-11-12T23:13:30Z")
Some cars, such as the Ford Fusion, allow the set speed to increase slightly by tapping on the gas pedal. Thanks for telling me about the Civic. I never realized that. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/28 "2011-11-12T23:16:25Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > Some cars, such as the Ford Fusion, allow the set speed to increase slightly by tapping on the gas pedal. Thanks for telling me about the Civic. I never realized that. Again, on the Civic (and every car I’ve driven) you should be able to increase or decrease your speed by 1mph by tapping the accel/decel button. If you want to raise your speed by 5mph, tap it 5 times. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/29 "2011-11-13T11:50:19Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Again, on the Civic (and every car I’ve driven) you should be able to increase or decrease your speed by 1mph by tapping the accel/decel button. If you want to raise your speed by 5mph, tap it 5 times. What about the gas pedal, as the Fusion allows? I think it does but am not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/30 "2011-11-13T13:09:29Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Because you don’t want cruise control to be a default setting? It’s definitely a bad idea in rain or on slick roads. > > [Is Using Cruise Control on Wet Roads Dangerous? | Snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/wetroad.asp) That is the single worst Snopes article on their website IMHO. While it is true that using cruise in the rain is probably not a good idea, the events described in the quoted email are totally false and impossible. If your tires are hydroplaning they are off the ground. If your tires are off the ground your car cannot “accelerate uncontrollably” as was described. The speedometer might indicate rapid acceleration but in fact since the tires are riding on water not pavement and you have no traction you are NOT accelerating. Getting back to the OP I suspect that the reason is a regulation requiring it. This is why late model cruise systems have an indicator that lights up when the cruise is on and a second indicator that lights up when cruise is engaged. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/31 "2011-11-13T21:24:13Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > What about the gas pedal, as the Fusion allows? I think it does but am not sure. I tested it today. It does not. ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/32 "2011-11-13T22:47:24Z")
Theory. Everything else has an on/off switch, why not the cruise control? It never occurred to the original designer that it didn’t need an on/off swtch, so he designed it with one. ‘‘It has always been that way.’’ If there is any safety feature to turning it off other than defeating a run away system not responding to the brake switch, I defeat it by never turning it off. Well once in a while, I remember bumping it accidentally. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/33 "2011-11-14T01:09:58Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Again, on the Civic (and every car I’ve driven) you should be able to increase or decrease your speed by 1mph by tapping the accel/decel button. If you want to raise your speed by 5mph, tap it 5 times. On Civics (and other Hondas I’ve driven, at least), you can also hold the “ACCEL” button until you hit a new desired speed, at which point the CC will be set to that speed. Same with “DECEL.” I appreciate the gas pedal operating as it does during CC on Hondas; if I want to put on a brief burst of speed to pass a car, I can just hit the gas pedal, pass the car, and then release it. The car will then just settle back to my original CC speed. I think the Ford approach would annoy me. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/34 "2011-11-14T10:07:36Z")
> [@MilTan](#): > > On Civics (and other Hondas I’ve driven, at least), you can also hold the “ACCEL” button until you hit a new desired speed, at which point the CC will be set to that speed. Same with “DECEL.” > > I appreciate the gas pedal operating as it does during CC on Hondas; if I want to put on a brief burst of speed to pass a car, I can just hit the gas pedal, pass the car, and then release it. The car will then just settle back to my original CC speed. I think the Ford approach would annoy me. Wouldn’t it be easier to just reach the new desired speed and then press the set button? I didn’t know the Honda will settle back to the original CC speed after a sustained press of the gas pedal. I do know that a slight tap on the gas pedal cancels the set button. ---
**Author:** ![ASanders](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asanders/32/3367_2.png) [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/35 "2011-11-14T12:16:10Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I think it’s like the double-click NSFW rule. > > ETA: Sorry, what I mean is that you have to do something twice to initiate it, and an inadvertent push won’t send you unavoidably hurdling through an intersection. This. Both our cars have the on-off switch, and we use them all the time. The reason is that one driver likes CC and the other doesn’t. It’s always off in my car and always on in my husband’s. When we are driving the other’s car, we can set the master control to our own preference, which removes the potential for dangerous errors. Having driven stick for most of my life, I don’t even really like automatic transmission, much less the feeling of a car driving itself at freeway speeds. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650/36 "2011-11-15T02:48:06Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > How would it work having a cruise control that was always on? If I was driving along at sixty mph and took my foot off the gas, would the cruise control hold that sixty mph speed? What if I had taken my foot off the gas in order to slow down? I have had four Toyotas including two Camrys and they all had/have on-off switches. If it’s off, the control is unresponsive. If it’s on, you have to press the lever to Set/Coast to set the speed (and there is a light on the dash to indicate it’s on). If you don’t do that, nothing happens. If no speed is set, pressing Resume doesn’t do anything either. > [@Leaffan](#): > > Sorry, what I mean is that you have to do something twice to initiate it, and an inadvertent push won’t send you unavoidably hurdling through an intersection. [Hurdling](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=hurdling&hl=en&rlz=1B3GPCK_enUS354US414&tbm=isch&tbnid=QMfG3OCtlFzz6M:&imgrefurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/4782951.stm&docid=yTaeY2wilB2uaM&imgurl=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41422000/jpg/_41422339_sebrlehurdle416.jpg&w=416&h=300&ei=7NHBTqmTNqn00gG22LzkBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=236&sig=100517833859587951098&page=1&tbnh=141&tbnw=188&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&tx=76&ty=92&biw=1288&bih=684), not to be confused with hurtling. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cruise-control-have-an-on-off-switch/602650.md?page=1)