![]() Other modern safety features – such as electronic stability control and automatic emergency braking – may eventually also rise to near the top of the list but the lengthy history of ABS makes it a legend in the realm of car safety technology. These materials can create a “dam effect” in front of the wheels that are locked up, preventing the vehicle from stopping as quickly as a vehicle without ABS would.Īccording to Liberty Mutual, by 2004 ABS was considered the second most important car safety feature after the safety belt. It is a system designed to help you maintain control of the vehicle during emergency braking situations, not necessarily make the car stop more quickly.”Īccording to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), on very slippery surfaces ABS can actually increase a driver’s stopping distance. These include surfaces with loose gravel or lightly packed snow. “ Do cars with ABS stop more quickly than cars without? Perhaps, but that’s not the main purpose of ABS. In fact, steering is the primary safety function of ABS during emergencies, according to NHTSA: You read that right – ABS is not just about braking, it’s also about steering. ![]() It may also feel like the brake pedal is pushing back when ABS activates. There may be a grinding or buzzing noise coming from the vehicle during the period ABS is activated. When ABS is working properly, the driver may feel the brake pedal suddenly drop, followed by a rapid pulsing sensation. ![]() Simply put: Physics, modern computing and a whole lot of “oomph.” So, ABS can pump faster than a driver can, but how? Therefore, more driver skill is needed to obtain short stops without ABS.” Without ABS, a rapid, hard brake application could cause wheel lockup and loss of vehicle steering control, if the driver does not pump the brakes correctly or limit the brake pedal force to prevent wheel lockup. “When faced with a panic braking situation, ABS allows a driver to rapidly apply the brakes without worrying about wheel lockup, and the vehicle begins to stop immediately. When it comes to explaining the power of ABS, NHTSA says it best in a 2013 “Question and Answer” document: What’s the secret behind anti-lock brakes? How does ABS make you safer than just pumping the brakes on your own? What’s going on when your car’s ABS activates? Read further for answers to these questions and more. The vibration you feel is just the brakes pulsing the brakes many times a second. Drivers report that they feel like their brakes have failed. Unless you live in a snowy and icy state, you seldom will get to feel ABS activate. ABS provides driver more control through steering during braking by not locking the brakes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made ABS a mandatory feature for new cars starting September 2011. ABS takes away this requirement but some who learned the pump method may question the need for ABS. When the brakes don’t’ lock up, you are able to control the steering better.ĭrivers who learned to drive before ABS became standard likely learned to pump the brake pedal during emergencies and slippery conditions. It’s a safety system that pulses the brakes many times per second so that they don’t lock up. The correct answer depends on whether the car you’re driving has an anti-lock braking system, or ABS.
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