----- Original Message -----
From: <REwald9535@aol.com>
To: <cdsorkin@ix.netcom.com>; <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2000 5:09 AM
Subject: was Speeding in the UK now ABS
> Decreased stopping distance is not design function of ABS. What ABS is
> designed to do is to prevent the wheels from locking (this is why they
call
> it ABS not shorter stopping thingy:-)
etc. etc.
> However when the
> wheels are locked you have no steering control. ABS may take longer to
stop,
> but you maintain control.
I agree, but I seriously doubt (and have witnessed) that anyone who panic
brakes and locks up will have the presence of mind to steer, even if they
knew which way to turn. Top Gear several years ago, in the early days of
ABS, showed a race driver using cadence braking and significantly
outperforming ABS, I *think* it was in the wet. Having driven ABS-equipped
cars in rain and on ice I HATE the feeling that the brakes have failed. I
have been a passenger in an ABS demo vehicle on a skid-cradle and the driver
showed the effect of standing on the pedal while going into a curve with the
ABS switched off and switched on, and sure enough, it carried straight on in
the first case and took the curve in the second. "How about cadence
braking?" I asked the driver, so he went round again with it switched off.
However his idea of cadence braking was about one second on, one second off
etc. Needless to say, it wasn't as effective as ABS, but then, it wasn't my
idea of cadence braking either.
> Now for a trivia question what does ABS stand for?
Definitely 'Anti Braking System'!
PaulH.
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