Emergency braking: know your ABSs

Published Feb 12, 2016

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Durban - A few friends gather around on most weeknights. After a long and hard day at work, it is a meet where the car junkies bring their vehicles and we all discuss our automotive interests. The issue of ABS braking came up and, shockingly, very few of the guys knew what this really was.

One of the boys suggested that ABS was an acronym for "Air Braking System", stating that vehicles with ABS brakes functioned with pneumatic braking systems.

Another boy disputed this and stated that ABS stood for "All-wheel braking System", stating that ABS meant all wheels of the car brake evenly.

I stood open-mouthed in shock. These are men who can dismantle, assemble and modify complete cars yet they've completely misunderstood such a basic safety feature.

I decided to set the record straight, using Google to back me up as any words on the matter coming merely from my lips might be disputed.

ABS stands for Anti-lock Braking System. By pulsating the brakes with incredibly high frequency, this system prevents the wheels from locking (and putting the vehicle into a skid) under hard braking.

I found an article on a GM website explaining how it works and the boys listened with interest and passed my phone around so that everybody could have a look. After a few minutes of greasy hands scratching stubbled chins, conversation shifted to turbo-charging and forged pistons, comfortable conversational territory for all those present.

HOW TO USE ABS EFFECTIVELY

Defensive driving experts MasterDrive caution that ABS does not replace driver caution or following distance and that ABS must be used in conjunction with defensive driving.

The company provides some key safety pointers:

Know the difference between cars that are fitted with ABS and those that are not. It is vital to know how the brake pedal will react and then maintain a firm and continuous pressure on it, remembering not to pump the brake pedal (as you would in a car without ABS) as this turns the system on and off. ABS 'pumps' the brakes for you at a much faster rate.

If you take your foot off the brake during hard braking, it will disengage the ABS system. Whether you have ABS or not you still need to keep a safe following distance of three or more seconds. You must practice emergency stops so you can become accustomed to the ABS system. Depending on the age of your vehicle, you can expect mechanical noise and pedal pulsations when ABS is activated.

Once ABS is engaged, continue to steer normally.

If there is a problem with the ABS system, a warning light will indicate this and conventional braking will start so remember to make note of warning lights on your car and be aware of where all your car's warning lights may be.

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