How do you use anti-lock brakes?

[undeterred]

Poll question: How do you use anti-lock brakes?

I had an accident yesterday. It was snowing and I ran into the car in front of me going about 10mph because I was unable to stop my vehicle. Nothing terrible resulted but I had an interesting discussion with the police officer about how I used the brakes. I've only had the car for a few weeks.

[datasuspect]

1. don't use your brakes when you are skidding in snow or ice

follow the direction of the skid with the steering wheel, take your feet off the gas, and if possible reduce power to the motor by downshifting.

ABS doesn't require pumping the brakes. the system does that faster than any human ever could.

[undeterred]

4. Well. what if the direction of the skid is right into another vehicle?

Right after I got the car (4 weeks ago) I applied the first technique and the car did not stop- I drove it into another lane to avoid hitting the car in front of me while it skidded for two car lengths.

When I had the accident yesterday I hit the brake a second time because the car was not stopping and it still did not stop.

I talked to at least 5 people today who pump anti lock brakes, including the man who gave me a rental vehicle. I'm not saying he is right, but there is quite a bit of confusion. The police officer explained it the way you did.

[datasuspect]

8. that's a heat of the moment decision

there's no right answer except to try to minimise any loss to human life.

if you try to correct around the car in front of you, that might work.

but you could end up in a spin out anyway.

it really just depends on the situation.

i've been driving since i was a boy, and my father was a truck driver for more than 40 years, so he taught me a lot.

[Tesha]

9. *NEVER* pump anti-lock brakes unless the brake system has had a hydraulic failure.

In an emergency, jam them on as hard as you can and
keep steering; they will automatically modulate each
wheel brake individually to ensure that no wheel locks
up. Ignore all the nasty sounds and pulsations from
the antilock brake system.

Some cars even have "brake boost" where the car notices
you're jamming on the brakes and helps you jam the brakes
on especially hard; my Audi does that.

But remember: keep steering!

Tesha

[datasuspect]

13. traction control helps in inclement conditions

but sometimes it just doesn't make any sense to drive.

i tried driving from texas to chicago for xmas one year but gave up around condition because of the condition.

sure, i could have pushed it to memphis, but the roads were just fucked.

black ice is a motherfucker.

18 wheeler can cut right through the snow and ice, but rural interstates can get pretty dangerous.

if you're doing 45 while the trucks are plowing through at 60, get off the road.

[A HERETIC I AM]

51. You've been driving since you were a boy and your father was a truck driver and you think....

an "18 wheeler can cut right through the snow and ice,"

Really? Trust me when I tell you this;

An 18 wheeler can not "cut through the snow and ice" to the degree which you are suggesting. A heavy truck may be able to do a little better in heavy or deep snow than a typical passenger car, but they are just as affected by slick conditions as automobiles are, perhaps even more so because they have a hinge point.

I've held a drivers license since 1976 and a commercial license since 1978 (started out as a Fla. "Chauffeurs" license, then grandfathered into the CDL when they came about in the late 80's) and have well over 1.6 million miles behind the wheel of large trucks - I've driven over 15,000 in the last 45 days alone - I can state with absolute confidence that heavy trucks don't have it any easier than automobiles in snowy and icy conditions.

The best advice I could give to any driver when operating in slick conditions is to drive as if there is an egg taped to the bottom of your right foot. Never press on the accelerator or the brake harder than it would take to break the egg. This is particularly important to remember when braking, as it requires looking farther ahead than one would normally and to drive extra defensively.

If one finds oneself in a slide where the rear end is coming around, steering into it will only work if the steer tires can get purchase. If they are sliding as well, actually steering the other direction, forcing the car into a 360 can be a better solution. The car will continue to rotate and as the front end comes around to the direction of travel, straighten out the wheel and you'll find yourself rolling straight again. This takes a bit of practice because it is counter-intuitive, but it works. It does NOT work in an articulated vehicle, however.

As far as the OP's question, the other answers which suggest just jamming the brakes are correct. The anti-lock system is designed to keep the wheels from locking up. If you find yourself in this circumstance though, you have clearly broken the egg and it is game over.

[datasuspect]

55. I-57 southbound past I-80

slushy snowy mix on the two lane rural configuration. between 3 - 5 inches on the roadway.

December 23, 2008, 9 pm ish. temperature dropping.

trust me, trucks were grinding through at the speed limit.

at the time, i was in a 1999 chevy malibu four door, v-6, ABS, and decent tires.

the slushy mix got sketchy around 50 or so.

if you could keep it in the ruts, it went okay.

but trucks were in the hammer lane spraying that shit all over passenger cars.

it depends on the conditions.

i've seen black ice conditions in michigan, floods in austin, tx and beaumont, tx, flood in chicago (interesting story: it rained so goddamn much the viaducts flooded, so the southbound pulaski bus wasn't coming and neither was the northbound. a CTA supervisor in an suv picked us up and threaded us - about four other passengers at the bus stop - around the flooded viaducts all the way to the rapid transit on the douglas line at pulaski and 21st), and many other situations all across the country.

the way you react sets the tone for the whole situation.

stay away from other vehicles on the interstate.

be where trucks can see you, don't tailgate or cut them off.

maintain proper lane composure: stay in your lane; signal lane changes; give trucks room when you pass in front of them; modulate cruise control to get the right mix of speed levels to test fuel consumption; carry a cb radio.

i ain't no expert, but i've never had a wreck, a moving violation, or DUI. and i was as crazy as waylon or hank sr. through many years of my life.

my driving record is spotless.

it's probably the only thing in my life that i haven't fucked up. hee hee!

[louis-t]

11. Even if I alternate feet?

:evilgrin: They don't call me twinkle toes for nuthing.

[datasuspect]

14. if you skid, NEVER hit the brakes

ABS is more effective than a human.

but brakes won't help in a ice/snow skid.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Now you know...

Next time you will be OK...

I hope you didn't get a ticket...

:hug:

[undeterred]

7. No, I didn't.

[Pancho Sanza]

3. What was the gist of the discussion? Did you get an owner's manual with the car?

Just wondering why this is even a matter for discussion in 2011...
:shrug:

No offense, just curious.

[undeterred]

6. No, I did not get an owners manual.

Vehicle is a year old but it was a rental. I need to get one from a dealer. I was surprised how many people with new cars told me they pump the brakes.

[Pancho Sanza]

10. I just asked because I haven't seen a recent owner's manual and wondered if and how they

address the use of ABS brakes. I've been driving for 58 years and I confess 'pumping' the brakes is one damn hard habit to break. :D

[Violet_Crumble]

20. I just checked if my car's manual had anything...

I've got a 2004 Astra, and there's a section on the anti-lock stuff, but I've owned the car since new and I'd never read it till now, coz basically I only read the manual when I'm looking up how to change a bulb or what the little light that stayed on when it shouldn't meant. I don't know many people who read an owners manual cover to cover, and I learnt what to do when in a skid only after I ended up off the road after hitting a bit of black ice one winter's morning and being told by someone afterwards what I should have done...

[undeterred]

36. I didn't get the manual yet but I looked at it online

to find out where the compartments and spare tire are and to figure out all the controls at the front and all the moving parts. I was about to look up where to put in wiper fluid and all that fun stuff. Reading about the brakes was not on my list.

Oh the other interesting thing is that Mazda gives vehicles with an automatic transmission a way to shift in to gears as if it were a manual transmission. That I want to read about. M-D

[Violet_Crumble]

46. You've got a Mazda? I'm thinking of getting one soon...

I'm resisting at the moment, coz I'm a bit of a snob and love my little European car just coz it's got stuff that's pointless in my climate, like a snowflake light that comes on if it snows (which it never does). It sucks that you had a prang and I'm glad that it looks like the only thing that was hurt was yr car...

[undeterred]

47. The only thing I don't like about Mazdas

is that they are so low to the ground. Very reliable, quiet, don't need a lot of repairs, look nice, not overpriced. I got a Mazda5 this time which is like a minivan but its the same line as the last two which were 626. Accidents are expensive even if all you hit is the front bumper, unfortunately.

[undeterred]

23. The sound and feel of the ABS brakes is worse than the sound of

fingernails on a chalkboard and feels like oldstyle brakes that have completely worn down to crunching metal on metal. And they don't always stop the car either. Frankly, I don't think they're worth shit at this point.

[RamboLiberal]

29. I wouldn't want a car without them

I know the diff driving in snow in hilly Pittsburgh with and without them. Haven't scared the crap out of myself trying to slow down & steer on the downhill side of some slippery hills here in the Burgh with any ABS cars I've had.

And I've been driving in this snowy and slipperly crap since about 1968.

[undeterred]

33. Well I'll take your word for it.

Just need to have some good experience to balance these out.

[laundry_queen]

42. Sometimes they don't seem like they stop the car any faster

although I narrowly avoided hitting 2 small children and I was so thankful I had ABS (think a 2 and 4 year old playing on the side of a BUSY road at the bottom of a large hill, hiding behind a trailer, and both running into the road at the last moment. I thought I was going to die of a heart attack. I was pregnant at the time too...sheesh was I freaked. No parents in sight either.) I jumped on the brake with both feet and the abs did all the work, and I stopped quickly while staying in control.

What ABS seems to do is to allow you to brake hard while still being able to stay in control of the vehicle. I live in Canada and ABS is a must in the winter here. Especially this winter, lol.

[NoGOPZone]

45. Staying in control is its main purpose

whether it stops you faster depends on factors including the road surface and the skill of the driver. The wiki article in post #28 is a good starting point if you're interested in learning more.

Edited for a dumb typo.

[TorchTheWitch]

54. they weren't meant to stop a car faster and they don't

by the nature of their design. The purpose of them is not to stop a car faster but to stop a car in such a way as to be able to maintain control of the car (fishtailing, skidding, etc.). Their design actually makes it take longer to stop a car, but apparently it was decided that maintaining control was more important assuming that as long as you could control the direction of travel you could steer around any obstacles. Personally, I think the average driver needs much more ability to stop a car fast than avoiding fishtailing, skidding, etc. since the average driver spends far more time driving in lower speed yet obstacle dense conditions.

[datasuspect]

15. because this is a discussion board

and members discuss various topics with each other.

you aren't the guy who posts "why is this even news?" on newspaper comments sections are you?

[Pancho Sanza]

16. Good grief...I just was wondering what the cop said (and if he was right)

and what a 1 year old owner's manual said about it. Why did you ask me that?....your question/comment doesn't seem relevant.
\

By the way, in one of your earlier posts, you wrote

"i tried driving from texas to chicago for xmas one year but gave up around condition because of the condition."


You gave up around condition? ??? ?????

:eyes:

[undeterred]

21. The cop was a she

and I told her that I'd only had the car for a few weeks and that I hadn't had an accident in 20 years so she was trying to understand why. My last car was the same make- also a Mazda- and I presume it had some iteration of anti-lock brakes. But I never once had an accident because I was unable to stop the car. Now I've had two situations in 4 weeks where I was unable to stop the car- one I was able to steer out of and the other I wasn't.

She basically explained how the brakes work and said I should have just held the brake down and kept it down. I didn't really "pump" the brakes repeatedly but I did hit the brake a second time. I don't think the car was going to stop anyway.

[NoGOPZone]

27. The last time, was it also on a slippery surface? nt

[undeterred]

31. Yes.

When its dry the brakes are nice and quiet and work perfectly. But I live in Wisconsin, and its winter.

[NoGOPZone]

37. OK, so it seems the brakes themselves are OK.

As a precaution, have someone look at the tires. Maybe one or more of the tires has low tread or isn't all season type. It's a long shot, because typically this would also cause problems when starting out on a slippery surface as well as when braking, but it can't hurt to look.

[undeterred]

38. Thanks, I'll have them do that while its in the shop.

[Pancho Sanza]

44. Thank you for the add'l info. Funny (?) how sexism creeps into our most innocuous thoughts, isn't

it? I never even thought about the cop being female (probably a good thing you didn't say so at first, I'd probably be on the receiving end of some well deserved insults haha)


Actually I have a Mazda too and I've noticed its implementation of abs braking feels a LOT different from our other cars on pedal feedback. It -works- like it's supposed to but the tactile response isn't at all like others I've encountered.

You probably didn't do anything wrong at all...if your tires don't have any grip, all the magic brakes in the world won't make a bit of difference. :-)

[undeterred]

48. The ABS feels creepy.

I haven't had the car long but the tires look fine. I'm not sure whats going wrong.

I live in liberal Madison where we have lots of female officers, a female fire chief and a gay congresswoman. And the cops try make an accident a pleasant experience- she gave me a warning ticket and was actually very helpful.

[Greybnk48]

66. This has happened to me two or three times this winter.

I put the brake on, going fairly slowly, hold it, and just keep skidding. So far I have not hit someone. But I have been driving for 44 years and have never had this happen repeatedly. I have a Dodge Caravan (2006).

It's really terrifying. I just mentioned it to my husband who has a Ford Eclipse that stops on a dime in the same weather. My son was in the van with me the last time and vouched that I did not pump the brake. We checked my tires as a precaution. I told my husband that it feels like the brakes are iced up! This has happened in the summer when it rains as well.

[datasuspect]

39. it's outside of kankakee.

like welco's corner where the modern bolingbrook is.

what else don't you know about illinois history?

[Pancho Sanza]

52. I was born in Illinois. In Centralia. I just stupidly assumed ALL cities in that state

had names that were supposed to be capitalized. How silly of me.

:eyes:


On edit: Actually, I don't give a shit about Illinois history...I only lived there for 3 months after birth and have absolutely no desire to ever set foot in it again.

[Zephie]

60. Isn't Centralia the place with the constant mine fire?

[Pancho Sanza]

67. Yes, but it's the one in Pennsylvania. There aren't a lot of coal mines in Illinois

:eyes:

[Hannah Bell]

76. petty. wonder if that's supposed to be capitalized.

[May Hamm]

40. Why?

Ummm... maybe because we'd like other opinions abut something that many people still have not had a lot of experience. For example - I'm not sure anti-lock brakes are any help at all on ice like this guy was. So would pumping or slamming either one have an effect?

[stevedeshazer]

5. Stomp once.

But steer first.

[eggplant]

12. If your intent is to use the brakes to make the vehicle stop...

then with ABS you stand on the brake. If the ABS kicks in, you'll know it -- the pedal will pump itself in an unmistakable manner. If it didn't, then it either wasn't slippery (the brakes worked without locking up), or your ABS is messed up. If it is, you might be able to fight the ticket, and maybe even go after the seller of the car.

But I agree that in slippery conditions, braking is not always the best course of action.

Go find an empty parking lot with snow and practice with the brakes until you understand how it should feel.

[May Hamm]

43. Good advice!

"Go find an empty parking lot with snow and practice with the brakes until you understand how it should feel."

Huge empty parkings were essential when my kids were learning to drive. Slamming on the brakes on ice or skidding or quick turning would have been a given. The best way to know your car is to use it.

[onethatcares]

17. and if it's a chevy truck, don't use them while making a turn

cause you won't have any.

[Stinky The Clown]

18. Stand on the brake pedal until you stop.

No pumping.

You can steer if you need to.

[flvegan]

19. Brakes? Better to give her a dab of oppo and power through it!

POWEEEEERRRRRRR!

[Xithras]

22. ABS is, at it's core, computer controlled brake pumping.

You, in the heat of the moment, might be able to squeeze out 2-3 pumps per second, and all four wheels will be pumped evenly.

The computer, in that same moment, can pump out anywhere from 5-10 pump pulses (depending on the car) and can focus them ONLY on the tires that are sliding and need to be pumped.

The computer can bring your car to a halt much faster than you can, but when you let off the brake, the computer has to stop its work. You'll stop MUCH faster if you just cram the brake pedal and let the computer do its thing.

[undeterred]

25. Is it Windows 95?

:hi:

[CLANG]

34. Are you fuckin nuts?

:hi: :fistbump: :beer:

[undeterred]

41. ...

}( Windows 98 then :P

[slackmaster]

24. Don't pump. The anti-lock feature should only very rarely come into play if you are driving properly

I've had mine activate exactly once.

I was driving about 18 MPH on a residential street. A dog bolted in front of me. I stood on the brakes, and was able to stop about six inches short of the dog, which was frozen with fear.

[Blue-Jay]

26. Cut a hole in the floorboard and use Fred Flintstone-style brakes.

[CLANG]

35. My wife was very concerned when she saw me gasping for air

I laughed so hard I kind of chocked!

[Blue-Jay]

49. That's not even my "A-Material".

[RamboLiberal]

28. Yep stand on them till you stop

But realize that if road is slippery esp with snow or ice it will still take you longer to stop. I love ABS in vehicles though it still won't prevent a skidding accident. Almost had one myself last week at about 10 mph when car in front stopped suddenly. I had that brake pedal jammed & fortunately I did stop before skidding straight into the car in front. ABS was chattering.

An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up (that is, ceasing rotation) and therefore avoiding skidding.

An ABS generally offers improved vehicle control and decreases stopping distances on dry and slippery surfaces for many drivers; however, on loose surfaces like gravel or snow-covered pavement, an ABS can significantly increase braking distance, although still improving vehicle control.

Since initial widespread use in production cars, anti-lock braking systems have evolved considerably. Recent versions not only prevent wheel lock under braking, but also electronically control the front-to-rear brake bias. This function, depending on its specific capabilities and implementation, is known as electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), traction control system, emergency brake assist, or electronic stability control (ESC).

3.When the ABS system is in operation the driver will feel a pulsing in the brake pedal; this comes from the rapid opening and closing of the valves. This pulsing also tells the driver that the ABS has been triggered. Some ABS systems can cycle up to 15 times per second

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-lock_braking_system

[undeterred]

30. The guy who gave me a rental car today told me to pump the brakes.

I told him about my accident and what I had learned and he said no, you always pump the brakes to stop the car in that kind of situation- where you are skidding. He's renting out 25-30 new cars a day, maybe more, to people who may not be used to driving them or who may drive infrequently, and he doesn't know how to use the anti-lock brakes the way they are supposed to be used.

So, I think its worth spreading the word.

[Codeine]

32. There's probably more misinfo and mythology focused on cars

than anything else in modern society. Most people have at least one major misconception about car operation or safety in their head, some of us several.

[RamboLiberal]

56. That rental agent is full of crap - NHTSA

Does ABS change the way I should use the brakes?
You should not pump your brakes if you have ABS. Just hold your foot firmly on the brakes pedal and remember that you can still steer.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/problems/Equipment/absbrakes.html

AAA Foundation

With ABS, drivers are not supposed to pump the brake. The brake pedal of an ABS-equipped vehicle behaves quite differently when ABS engages. A loud grating sound and rapid brake pedal pulsation often accompanies the braking action with ABS, which may alarm the driver. Many drivers mistakenly believe this vibration or pulsating sensation on the brake pedal signals a fault in the system. These drivers then begin to pump the pedal or simply lift off the brake pedal. This defeats the ABS system.

If your car has ABS, the ABS logo will appear on your dashboard every time you start the car. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety urges all drivers who have antilock brakes to practice using them before they get into an emergency. "ABS brakes can be a real lifesaver," Willis says. "But they're not like regular brakes. The only way to understand how the brakes work is to practice sudden stops in a safe situation, on both wet and dry pavement," Willis says. Drivers should take their vehicles to a parking lot with no obstructions, bear down on the brakes, and practice steering.

In summary, if your car has ABS, follow this braking procedure:

When you need to stop, apply firm, steady pressure to the brake pedal.
Gradually steer the car around any obstacles.
Release pressure on the brake.
Resume driving normally, but consider lowering your speed.

http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/improper-steering-endangers-drivers-with-abs.html

[undeterred]

59. Good post, thank you.

[gvstn]

50. Anti lock brakes

were my only saviour when I owned a 240sx. That car was terrible in the snow. It would slip on half an inch and slide sideways on anything over 2 inches.

The one thing it did do was stop with the ABS. (Trying to recover once it was stopped was often impossible but it did always stop).

I always pushed hard on the pedal and let the ABS do the braking. I know that is the opposite of the pumping we were all taught years ago but it really is the best way on an ABS car. If you, by habit, let go of the pedal just recover yourself and press hard on the pedal again and ABS will reactivate. I your ABS had kicked in you would know it. The first time it would scare you with the noise and vibration you would feel. Chances are you didn't press hard enough.

I second the idea of going to a parking lot and trying them out to get the feel of them. You don't have to slam on the brakes real fast, you just have to continue to press the pedal far enough that the car realizes you want to activate the ABS or having a problem stopping.

[elocs]

53. My anti-lock brakes work great on my '06 Scion xA.

I approached the left turn at my intersection this afternoon going maybe 35 mph, pulling into the middle left-turn lane which an inch or so of slippery snow and thunk-thunk-thunk it stopped perfectly right where I needed to make the turn with no skidding whatsoever. No pumping, I just hold my foot on the brake.

Now driving a front wheel drive car when it begins to skid is a whole different matter and is not the same as most of us learned to do on rear wheel drive cars and that is worthy of an entire thread to its self.

[backscatter712]

57. Don't pump the brakes, ABS pumps them for you.

In most circumstances, as long as you're in a modern car with anti-lock brakes, all you have to do is stomp down on the brake pedal, and the car Just Stops. You don't have to pump the brakes, because the ABS system automatically pulses the brakes on & off when it detects a skid, and it pumps the brakes much faster than a human can.

[Tesha]

62. Well, the car doesn't "just stop".

The only guarantee that antilock brakes make to you
is that they won't let you lock up one or more wheels
and thus provoke a skid.

But they're not magic: if the coefficient of friction between
your tires and the glare ice is 0.00, you'll just keep rolling
forwards forever. You'll be rolling straight, but you'll still be
rolling.

In slippery weather, stopping distances increase, ABS or not.

Tesha

[backscatter712]

73. Cap'n! You canna break the laws of physics!

ABS does help you stop sooner in most cases than you would without them, but when you're on ice, you're likely to have problems stopping no matter what if you're not careful.

[NuclearDem]

58. You never pump ABS

The ABS control module uses wheel speed sensors to detect how fast a wheel is rotating...if it gets data that indicates the wheels aren't, or are in lockup, it'll automatically apply the ABS pressure when you hit the brakes.

The pulsing sound and the shaking you feel when you apply ABS feels unnatural because, well, it is. ABS applies and releases brake pressure sixteen times a second...it's like trying you trying to stomp on the brakes that quick.

ABS is not really intended to stop a vehicle on its own, it just complements your regular brakes and helps you maintain traction and steering control. The stopping distances between an ABS-equipped vehicle and one without aren't that much different.

[Zephie]

61. Growing up in FL, you don't learn these things

I lived in Idaho for a year and my husband did all the driving since I didn't have a car and his is manual (which I also know nothing about). That's the only time I've ever seen snow and ice before we moved back to FL. I don't look forward to moving up north again and having to learn to drive a second time. Hills, snow... Who needs 'em?

[david13]

63. Stomp. Stay. Steer. dc

[ThatsMyBarack]

64. Lock 'em up....

So no one'll steal 'em. ;)

[hunter]

65. Anti-lock brakes are awesome.

People don't know it because they've never played hard with cars in a safe place.

When activated anti-lock brakes feel wrong, but it's much more difficult to control and stop a car without 'em.

Riding on four slippery patches of melting rubber (or ice) as you do without anti-lock brakes is a lot of fun when you are playing, and the skid marks can be artful sorta like graffiti on the pavement, but it's not so much fun in a panic.

BTW, I'm one of DU's car haters. If I was emperor of earth I'd outlaw personal automobiles. This stems from my environmental beliefs. But in my youth I was reckless but not wreckless in my experimentation with automobiles.

I tried very hard to teach my children that cars were dangerous and not to be experimented with as I did, similar to explosives and guns, and they've witnessed the physical consequences of bad driving, so I do think they took some of those lessons to heart, but nevertheless our own family automobile fleet still bears some scars of questionable origin.

[RamboLiberal]

68. Even ABS wouldn't help in this video - Pittsburgh hill this week freezing rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6249iHSJsKo&feature=player_embedded

Great video of 4 or 5 cars just losing it.

[May Hamm]

69. Whoa!

That second car did a pretty good job of almost not crashing.

[eggplant]

70. You didn't, by and chance, wash the car recently (or splash through a big puddle)?

If the brake disks get wet in winter, they will ice over, and you will have to hold the brakes on long enough to generate enough friction to melt off the ice before they will stop. And that will be WAAAAAY longer than how long it takes to smash into whatever is in front of you.

On the newest (fancy) cars, they have sensors that detect this happening and will silently apply the brakes just enough to generate the friction to dry the disks, without affecting driving. (You aren't made aware that it is happening.) Quite a cool feature.

Wet/iced brakes are pretty damned scary when you are trying to stop.

[undeterred]

71. The accident happened on a very snowy, wet day.

It snowed at least 5 inches that day and the temp was around 30 degrees so it was both snowy and icy.

[Agony]

72. under these conditions ABS may have INCREASED your stopping distance

From the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration website http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/problems/Equipment/absbrakes.html

"Do cars with ABS stop more quickly than cars without?
ABS is designed to help the driver maintain control of the vehicle during emergency braking situations, not make the car stop more quickly. ABS may shorten stopping distances on wet or slippery roads and many systems will shorten stopping distances on dry roads.

On very soft surfaces, such as loose gravel or unpacked snow, an ABS system may actually lengthen stopping distances.

In wet or slippery conditions, you should still make sure you drive carefully, always keep a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of you, and maintain a speed consistent with the road conditions."

This is why as an experienced driver I do not like ABS brakes for driving in my prevalent local conditions snow/gravel. ABS brakes interfere with my ability to use threshold braking. ABS brakes are not about stopping distance so much as they are about directional control.

If your previous car did not have ABS you may be experiencing a real difference in stopping distance. Perhaps if you have a lifetime of driving experience you may have not realized you are using cadence braking (also known as pumping the brakes) or threshold braking (applying pressure until just before lockup) because it has become second nature. Don't wait until you are in an emergency situation to learn what to expect from ABS brakes. Take any opportunity you have to practice, a parking lot or roadway with NO other vehicles around and snow or ice or gravel, then using your ABS brakes will become second nature.

ABS brakes are not a panacea but you should know how to use them and the NHTSA article is a good place to start. Be safe.

Cheers!
Agony

[bluestate10]

74. I was trained to develop a buffer around my vehicle and increase that

buffer in bad weather. I don't remember the last time that I pressed my brakes hard enough to trigger the anti-lock feature of my braking system.

[MiddleFingerMom]

75. My philosophy has ALWAYS been: Brakes are for people who don't know how to drive. n/t