Among the known driver assistance systems the adaptive cruise control system, better known as ACC, has previously been reserved for luxury class vehicles with only low market penetration to date. The distance to the vehicle in front is controlled to sensible values by the engine management and moderate brake intervention (max. 2.5 m/s(exp2)). The distance fluctuates gently around the safety distance depending on the deceleration and acceleration status of the vehicle in front. The ACCs most often sold are RADAR-based, working on the 77 GHz frequency band. At the heart of these devices is a transceiver made of GaAs substrate, which is responsible for the relatively high manufacturing costs. Less expensive are LIDAR (Light Detecting And Ranging) ACC systems, which have near-infrared laser diodes as transmitters and photo diodes as receivers. Both components are based on silicon technology. The practical range of both types of systems is d = 150m, with distances of over 200 m possible. Since the vehicle in front must not be lost from sight or confused with parallel driving vehicles, especially in curved roads, ACC sensors must be able to recognise and track the lateral position y and speed of several vehicles at the same time. LIDAR systems have a greater horizontal field of view than RADAR but are sensitive to soiling and rain. To overcome these problems, an alternative LIDAR technology is being discussed in this paper. Design targets are a rugged structure, good lateral resolution and high signal strength in order to achieve maximum possible tolerance against rain and soiling. This is realised on the one hand by using a Multibearn laser. The ACC concept presented in the paper is approaching the start of production. Features include a mature production concept and favourable cost structure in comparison to systems already on the market.