An adaptive cruise control system for a motor vehicle

The system (10) has a stop and go controller (20) coupled to a forward-looking sensor (18). The controller has control logic to adjust a vehicle velocity in response to range and range rate signals to maintain a preset headway distance between a host vehicle (12) and a target. The controller stops the vehicle and activates a warning, when the target stops and acquires below or above a preset velocity, respectively : The forward-looking sensor generates the range signal corresponding to a distance between the host vehicle and the target. The target comprises one of a vehicle, an object and a pedestrian. The sensor generates a range rate signal corresponding to a rate that the distance between the host vehicle and the target is changing. Independent claims are also included for the following: (a) a method of adjusting the velocity of a host vehicle (b) a motor vehicle having an adaptive cruise control system.