Jill has, I repeat, had only one other accident in her nearly 40 years of
driving, that when she was 16. And one of the ABS accidents was a t-bone of
a Windstar going 40 on the cross street in a crowded suburban neighborhood.
That driver got the ticket, we just got a bashed bumper. But without ABS
letting go of the brakes Jill might well have stopped in time.
The brakes release with little noise and little pedal sensation, and at
moments that are mostly unexpected, like when hitting a tar strip or a tiny
road irregularity while stopping on perfectly dry pavement.
Our '94 GT and '99 Cobra Mustangs have ABS, and while I still could stop
faster without worrying about the ABS, at least they give some pedal
feedback and it's easier to recognize that the brakes have released. Far
better system.
It may be the recommended technique, but I refuse to cultivate the reaction
to blindly stomp down on the brake pedal after the ABS decides it's time to
release. How about just letting up on the brakes a bit when you sense
slippage?
Worked when I raced in the SCCA and Midwest Council, when there was no ABS.
Never missed the miracle of a computer thinking for me. And talk about
following closely - umm, you do that in a race car. But everyone there is
competent, and you can depend on what they're going to do (mostly).
Now I bet you'd disapprove that I turn off the traction control every time I
start get in the Cobra too ;-)
Karl
> My guess: A combination of following too closely (Karl lives near
> Chicago, right? They ticket you if you keep a safe following
> distance...) and fear of the brake pedal. Lots of people get freaked
> out by the pulsing pedal and noises that ABS makes when it starts to
> work, so they let off the pedal. That leads to vastly increased
> stopping distances.
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