Adaptive cruise control is a pretty handy addition to modern cars… but we also understand that a lot of new tech can be quite confronting.

The system – tested here in Audi’s RS5 Sportback allows a driver to set a speed, and the vehicle will then use a combination of cameras and sensors to ensure a gap is maintained to the vehicle in front.

2019 Audi RS5 Sportback
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Audi RS5 Sportback

That gap can be adjusted to suit driving conditions, while more sophisticated systems like the one in the RS5 can actually manage the stop/start of a typical peak hour commute without the driver’s intervention.

Of course, none of these systems is a substitute for aware and alert driving, but it’s a great idea to at least know how the systems in your car work. After all, you paid for them!

In the video, we show how adaptive cruise control works on a highway, as well as how the adaptive cruise operates in a city. Not all cars have adaptive cruise control, of course, so be aware of what kind of cruise control you have before giving it a try in traffic.