I use the DCC as much as possible. One place I use it daily is in the Lincoln Tunnel. It keeps a nice distance as the traffic is constantly slowing and then speeding up. So today I got a lot of jitter of hard slowing and then back to speed. The distance to the car in front of me was fine, and it was not slowing. So what was the issue. I noticed the back tires of the bus in the lane next to me was on and over the white line. It was insight of how the software uses much more than radar to control the car. The camera watches the white line as the boundary for anything moving into my lane.
Don't rely on that assumption, I have found the opposite. With mine, if a vehicle moves over into the lane I am in the DCC does not slow down until the vehicle is at least halfway into the lane I'm in. I've had some hairy moments when someone has moved over at the last second then paused, then continued to move over.
The DCC behaves differently depending on the drive mode. Eco is a little sluggish to accelerate for me. What mode do you usually use? Pwr mode may get jittery. I usually use normal.
Yes, you still have to pay attention. One day Pearl S accelerated "pedal to the metal" when I turned on DRCC. Turned it off, then back on and it was fine. It will occasionally detect larger vehicles in the next lane, and when someone in front turns off it waits several seconds -after- they have left my lane. Driving conservatively is a "good thing" (tm) so I don't object, but sometimes in tight traffic I will deploy my foot to the accelerator to override the system.
I had that happen last year, but found I'd tapped the actuator lever up a few times at standstill. I was trying to restart the DRCC, but speed was too slow so nothing happened without realising the cruise speed had been increased. Eventually I got it going, but when the car I was following turned off, I suddenly rocketed away without any obvious throttle input.
The one that bugs me is when the DRCC see's the traffic slow down ahead and begins to slow down to match the traffic and then some pinhead jumps in front of you in acceleration only to jump back out of my lane leaving the DRCC to start to speed up because it saw the fast car but when it leaves it "see's" the slow cars again and it freaks out, slamming on the breaks. I have been fooled only once and now I disengage when I notice this starting to happen. Okay, maybe I was fooled more than once.... I'm a slow learner...
I've been using DRCC (pretty sure there's an R in there) and hoping I would love it. But I find myself tapping the brakes, turning it off and on and off again. Lots of hurcky jerky stops and starts. I feel the following distance too far, at least for downtown Oakland traffic. People will cut in front of me, confusing the DRCC and it shuts off. I've tried it in the toll plaza at the base of the maze into the bridge incline. same thing. Cars cut in front unless I keep my foot on the gas even with DRCC engaged. Sooo, DRCC FAIL. For my Prius in urban California. Too many cars, too little time. I look for the day when all vehicles on a road can connect and form a sort of chain and drive autonomously with a master brain!
Works great here in the SoCal traffic. This is my 3rd Prius with it and I will never NOT have DRCC to drive in Lala Land traffic...
Although it sometimes works ok in urban traffic, it is designed for freeway traffic, so it's not fair to give it a "fail" for not doing what it's not supposed to do.
I agree it does feel hypersensitive at times, but you have the option to reduce the detection range with the button on the steering wheel; that one with the mini speedo disk with an arrow. There are 3 ranges, three bars for express routes, two bars for regular roads and one bar for stop/go traffic conditions. YMMV. Also, i think you can adjust the sensitivity in settings, but don't quote me on that!
That's what I said "fail for my Prius in urban California". The sensitivity can be adjusted from the steering wheel or in settings. It's the same following distance both options. When I turn it on it defaults to three bars - waaay too far a gap, IMHO. If everyone in Oakland used this DRCC on three bars in rush hour the traffic jam would stretch from here to the moon. I immediately adjust it on the steering wheel to one bar, and use the accelerator to help close the gap. I want to add that I feel DRCC is great on less congested roads - freeways with fewer cars and rural byways. And the Lane Keep Assist is great for most situations.
You shouldn't need the accelerator to close the gap of you're in normal mode. Just tap the C C lever up to restart the DRCC. Personally, I find the 2 bars to be a good seeing, but is the accelerator to override the auto braking when it's not needed. Afterwards, the car cruises along again as before.
The message that pops up whenever I use DRCC says it is for use on freeways. That implies DRCC was not designed for use in stop and go traffic. EDIT: I removed the word uncongested because the message does not say that.
Actually, it does not say uncongested. Freeways in the US can slow down to a crawl for many reasons. It is useful for DRCC to brake.
Question: when DRCC is engaged and actively slowing the vehicle will drivers behind me see brake lights on my vehicle?
Yes. Toyota’s New Car Features book says that a stop light illumination request signal is output when the Deceleration Control Function or Stop Control Function is active and “the deceleration rate is higher than a predetermined value,” and always when the Stop Retention Control Function is active.
Definitely yes here in UK. USA seems to want everything different, so not absolutely sure for you. Sorry.