careless driving, so we are hoping that the judge will reduce it to something with fewer points.
I don’t think that anything is wrong with the brakes Your Son pressed some on the brake pedal and felt some pulsing. That was the ABS stopping the wheels from locking up. which would have sent you into the guard rail. Your son should have put the brake pedal to the floor and held it there and steered. Sometimes when going downhill on a very slippery road ABS can’t slow the car because there just isn’t enough traction between the tires and the road. But at least it lets you keep steering the car while slowing the car as much as traction allows.
Proof of how slippery the road is,is that downshifting caused a skid that sent you into the guardrail. Abs can’t stop wheels from locking up due to downshifting.
I agree with oldtimer.
b
Thanks to everyone for all this helpful information. I have passed it on to my son, and he will share it with the mechanic tomorrow. I am grateful for your insights.
If it turns out that the OP’s son simply doesn’t know how to correctly apply the brake in a vehicle with ABS, we may just have saved a few lives–including his.
I’m tending to agree with the others here above that the problem is simply you hit some black ice and the tires lost traction. There’s not a lot that can be done about it after traction is lost in a situation like that, just try to keep the front of the car pointed in the best direction available is about all you can do. The only pro-active thing you can do, besides invest in better tires, is pay attention to conditions and drive more slowly when adverse conditions present themselves.
One time years ago I was coming down off of Pike’s Peak in mid-summer and had the brakes stop working, but in that case it was the fluid got to boiling. They didn’t fail all at once, started to noticeably fade more and more first. This is more likely to happen if going down steep extended down-hills in a car with an automatic transmission or a manual and the driver doesn’t use engine braking to help slow down.
All that said, it is still possible there was a brake problem, so in this case it would be wise to ask a shop to remove the wheels and do a visual inspection of the brakes.
“in this case it would be wise to ask a shop to remove the wheels and do a visual inspection of the brakes.”
…and the master cylinder…
I wonder if the fact that the son was doing 10 MPH in the left lane had anything to do with a citation being issued.
When I was younger I was on a very icy drive, probably going to similar speeds as you. The brakes quit working, sliding on the ice, I shifted into low and ran smack dab into a tree. Shifting into low on ice is now not my prfeferred choice, neutral in my book is better. My wag you lost traction then shifting into low caused lost control.
I too think your son just hit some glare ice and lost traction…which made him think his brakes didn’t work.
It is best though to get the car checked out by a good mechanic and have your son bring the mechanic’s diagnosis to court and plead that he is unfamiliar with driving on ice and the mountains. Maybe the judge will show pity that at least your son took the car for examination to be sure it’s safe.
Have him word it stressing… safety for others on the road, and his own peace of mind.
Yosemite
I don’t understand the officer’s motivation on writing a ticket. Of course we haven’t heard his side of things, but it seems like it was just the kind of accident that can happen to anybody when driving on icy roads. The exact right conditions can occur very quickly to form black ice. Even the wind changing speed or direction can be enough to do it.