Braking with ABS - Anti ¨C Lock Braking System

It is an increasing trend nowadays for car manufacturers to factory-fit their cars with ABS especially for the mid and high end models. However, many of us who are not auto freaks do not realize that with ABS, we will need to slightly modify our technique of braking, never mind what the three letter word stands for.

So before we start, ABS actually stands for Anti ¨C lock Braking system. Cars that are fitted with this system have censors incorporated to measure individually each wheel¡¯s rotation speed. Thus when we brake heavily, the censors are able to detect a particular wheel¡¯s rotation speed which is considerably slower than the others indicating it is about to lock-up. This censor will then send signals to a central computer which will then relieve braking pressure on that particular wheel to prevent it from locking up.

If you notice, what this whole ABS system actually does is no different from the traditional teaching of ¡®pumping¡¯ our brakes on and off during an emergency braking. All or most of us have been thought that under heavy braking (in a car without ABS), if we slam on the brakes too hard, instead of slowing down the wheel speed, the brakes will jam up and the car tires will be literally skidding on the road. As there is no gripping of the tarmac by the tires under such conditions, no amount or technique of steering input will correct the ¡®skidding¡¯. Hence the teaching of ¡®pumping¡¯ our brakes by stepping on and off our brakes will ensure that any wheels that locked up do not remain locked.

The advent of ABS has however relieved us of this ¡®pumping¡¯ action. Instead, the computerized brake ¡®pumping¡¯ action operated by the ABS can be done up to 15 times a second. The end result is that an ABS fitted car will be able to come to a halt in a smoother fashion, in a shorter distance and with steering control being maintained. So remember, that if your car is fitted with ABS, you do not need to ¡®pump¡¯ your brakes when there is an emergency braking as the ABS will take over all the ¡®pumping¡¯ action. Instead just slam down hard on your brakes and with the ABS working, you will feel a sense of vibration coming through the brake pedals. Many of us who are unaware often misinterpret this feeling as the brakes jamming up and starts to lift of the brake pedal, thus ending up with an ¡®ABS ¨C caused¡¯ accident.

Last but not least, ABS¡¯s primary function is to enable a motorist to maintain control of the steering wheel (by preventing the locking up of wheels) so that you can steer yourself clear of any obstacle. It was never designed as a safety backup or excuse for tailgating other motorist and braking late. This is because although ABS does help in reducing brake distance, it does not do much and how much it does depends on the road surface (ABS reduces braking distance on tar and concrete roads but increases braking distance on gravel or snow). So be alert and always maintain a safe distance between your car and the car in front.