“the difference is that if even ONE wheel slips, the ABS kicks in and affects ALL of the wheels.”
I’ve had the exact same experience driving a 2000 Suburban in Fairbanks, Alaska and a 2005 Dodge Caravan in Fort Collins, Colorado. When you say, “Does not!” I reply, YEAH HUH!
I’ve always liked “Canadian Driver” and their test and opinions have been helpful. This article looks at many of the concerns that people have raised about abs.
http://www.canadiandriver.com/2003/04/29/anti-lock-brakes-why-you-should-have-them.htm
Very well written article, but like many the writer naysays the weaknesses of ABS rather than acknowledging them. It’s important to recognize the lengthened stopping distances using ABS as well as the tendency of ABS to totally eliminate the ability to stop under some circumstances. Get on a slick road or a washboard gravell surface and ABS will simply eliminate the ability of the brakes to stop the wheels from rolling. Properly applied brakes with ABS cannot always stop a car as quickly as a non ABS equipped system, as he claims.
The author of the article needs to recognize that those weaknesses that many naysayers complain about are not all due to misinformation or misusuing the system. some of the weaknesses people have complained about are very real.
In many driving conditions for many types of driving ABS is probably an asset. But not in all situations.
I’m also wary of the new tendency to use the ABS system for other purposes, a tendency that he sees as an asset. I have reservations about creating potential braking problems to enhance handling. The fact never mentioned by auto writers is that as cars get old and the inevitable problems happen faults in the handling systems piggybacked on the ABS systems may just affect the brakes. These systems are not yet universal enough to see how problems might manifest themselves. Time will tell.
The article’s author deserves a lot of credit however. He clearly understands the systems and makes clear from the article’s beginning that its conclusion is an opinion. And he’s made some excellent arguments in support of his conclusion.
I think he does acknowledge the increase stopping distances and some other distinctions.
I can only say from my perspective and where we live on a mountain road that’s snow/ice covered 4 to 5 months out of the year, a 2 mile long dirt road that I’m co responsible to plow and grade. It’s narrow with deep ditches. In the 17 years we’ve lived here, travel in and out has never been as easy and safe as with the last 2 awd/4wd cars with abs and traction/stability control. They have functioned flawlessly but with two caveats. We always use winter tires and expect to have more frequent brake jobs. The last steep hill "t"s into a 45 mph road and has always been a tough controlled stop, until these two cars. I challenge ANYONE to travel the conditions we do, and as safely with similar vehicles without these aids. Every one on our road, stays pretty up to date…or they move.
If you have a car with ABS and lose control, crash and blame the ABS, its your fault. You should be able to control the car enough to stop it from skidding in the first place. Shouldn’t you be able to modulate the brakes before they skid even before the ABS kicks in? Oh yeah thats right, its a panic situation so you aren’t thinking as clearly as you are on the computer. Lets just blame the ABS for the lack of driving skill.
Not a big deal unless you’re a panicky driver, then it’s a lifesaver.
If you never put the brake pedal to the floor, even in a panic stop, then ABS is worse than not having it, but not catastrophically so.
Whether you need to worry about it depends on what kind of driver you are
That must be it, Schmitty. I must lack driving skill. Thank you for clarifying that for me.
Oh, wait. I’ve never gotten in an accident due to an inability to stop in over 40 years of driving, even on icy roads in North Dakota on bias ply tires (radials weren’t around back then). Well, that kills that theory.
Perhaps I can dislike ABS without having any blame to pass on? Yeah, that must be it.
You said in your first post you couldn’t stop your car because of the ABS. Make your mind up, you either can’t understand how to drive a car safely or you are a liar, possibly both.
This is why there are so many accidents, people who think everyone else can’t drive but they are Gods gift to driving.
Yup, that must be it. I must lack driving skills or be a liar. Or both. Thank you for clarifying that for me. People like me must be the reason there are so many accidents. I’m so glad you enlightened me.
Peace.
Well, I have to revise my post. Decreased injury accidents and no net effect on fatalities.
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/.m/cars/2009/08/nhtsa-study-confirms-abs-saves-lives-questions-remain.html
The previous study showed increased fatalities.
I coached for many years and had kids from my sports make it to the major leagues, professional golf and one in particular, a professional race car driver. He spent many years on the NASCAR circuit and is now an analyst for ESPN2 sports. I am amazed at how athletic and capable some people think they are. We are all “dullards” compared to these top athletes. This guy can’t perform with his brakes as well as with abs and I doubt any of the rest of us can either. I trust his opinion on the matter and if you can’t stop well with them, you’re not using them correctly.
You require certain skills anyone who’s driven a car without ABS in Alaska or the northern plains has developed to the point that it’s second nature. Threshold braking isn’t supernatural.
That said, a driving population that on the whole has not mastered the 4-way stop probably contains a lot of people who are better off with ABS.
Some ABS systems are actually compatible with threshold braking in ordinary circumstances…I only managed to trip my Thunderbird’s ABS once, and that was on purpose. You just have to remember that in a panic stop you have to put your foot in it.
Cars with that feature also tend to be newer, with better crash structures and more airbags.
Thanks for all the good info. Hope this helps others as well. We did buy the car. I would have preferred the abs, but the car had other attributes we liked.
Thanks for posting back. We so often don’t hear the final decision. I’'m glad you found something you like.
Sincere best.
Greasyjack talks a great line but his experience with ABS is just about opposite mine. My current car is the 2nd with ABS brakes and I wish I could say it would be the last. The owners manuals both caution that stopping distances may be extended under some circumstances but fail to explain what those circumstances may be. I found the stopping distance extended in both vehicles every time the ABS kicked in. In all cases I thought that the ABS activated prematurely. That is before wheel lock up occurred. In some instances the vehicle stopped in intersections (I was braking for a red light or stop sign). On city streets I had nowhere else to steer to. My alternatives were steer into parked cars or into the path of oncoming traffic. I will concede the point to the believer who preaches that ABS allows you to steer around a hazard but that presupposes that there will always be a place to steer to. I dread the day I have to find out the limitations of the traction control being mandated in new cars.
You made interesting points about the comment in your owners’ manual (I’ll have to read mine) as well as the assumption that there’ll always be someplace to steer to. In real life, in traffic, there often is no place to go. Ability to steer at the expense of lengthened stopping distance is a detriment rather than an asset.
Those that prefer ABS should be able to get it, but I wish mine had an OFF switch.
"ABS can actually lengthen stopping distances on some surfaces, such as loose snow, dirt, or gravel, "
All other surfaces, abs is equal or less than non abs…I have not been able to find ANY other reliable information to the contrary. If you have heavy traffic on a dirt road, I’d be concerned.
ABS can help, and ABS can hurt, overall I think its a good thing however a car not having it would not be a deal breaker for me. The most important thing for a care is a Attentive, sober, and awake driver.
Lets be honest, if a driver has been drinking, or is playing on the phone, or is half asleep, Abs will not matter the least bit.
We spend to much time focusing on devices that help you in a crash, which are good things don’t get me wrong, but maybe we should look at the most important things, which are crash avoidance in the first place (which abs MIGHT help you in)