Heavy Traffic Jam on the Highway

The other day, my husband drove to work in the Panamera, but since the highway was heavily congested, he decided to try out the Traffic Jam Assist feature.

Porsche’s Traffic Jam Assist is

a support system for drivers during traffic jams or when driving at low speeds below about 65 km/h. It helps the vehicle stay within the lane calculated by the system. When ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) is ON, the system automatically controls the steering within its limits. (However, the driver must always keep their hands on the steering wheel, ready to take control at any time.) This system is designed for driving on highways and well-maintained suburban roads.

That’s the gist of it. (Summarized from the Panamera’s specification manual)

Is It Like Autonomous Driving?

If you press the “Surround System” button on the top left of the touch panel shown below, the “Lane Keep Assist” on the right also turns ON. However, since Lane Keep Assist only activates at speeds above about 65 km/h, in heavy traffic jams like this one, you press the “Traffic Jam Assist” button, which operates below about 65 km/h.

When the meter displays as shown below, (green display means) the system is working properly.

By the way, the Lane Keep Assist function uses a camera near the rearview mirror to detect the lane course within the system’s range and activates corrective steering if the vehicle approaches or risks leaving the lane.

The driver can override the system anytime by holding the steering wheel. So, when “Traffic Jam Assist” is ON, the car will follow the vehicle ahead even if your feet are completely off the accelerator and brake pedals.

If the car in front brakes, the Panamera automatically brakes in response. If stopped for a certain period (the manual doesn’t specify the exact seconds), once the vehicle ahead starts moving, the Panamera will accelerate and resume driving.

Amazing!! It’s like a dream of autonomous driving (ﾟ∀ﾟ)!!

When my husband tried taking his hands off the steering wheel, after a while this warning appeared:

He said, “It felt like about a minute before the warning showed up—felt pretty long.” I checked the manual, but it doesn’t specify exactly how long you can keep your hands off before the warning appears.

When Traffic Jam Assist is ON, the driver’s steering input is monitored. If no steering input is detected, a warning message will appear on the instrument cluster after a short time.
*Quoted from Porsche Panamera specification manual

Once you start steering again, Traffic Jam Assist turns back ON. My husband said it’s “smarter than the cruise control on a Volkswagen Golf.” However, he mentioned one drawback.