Normal braking system has been available on cars for many years and it’s still used widely today. It’s based on hydraulic principle and when we press the brake pedal, the pressure is transferred to the break fluid. Brake discs are activated by the brake fluid and they prevent the car’s wheels from rotating. The car will slow down and when the pedal is pressed further, the car will stop. However, sudden braking could cause unintended results. As an example, our wheels can get locked and unable to grip the road due to skidding. Only rotating tires that grip the road surface can be controlled fully. Cars that skid out of conrol with locked wheels are in very dangerous situation. Collisions are almost a certainty and it’s rare that the car will skid in one direction forward. To deal with this issue, race drivers came up with a technique to prevent locked wheels.
They train themselves to quickly press and release the brake pedal. The car will slow down or stop, but without locking the wheel. The speed of the car will come down very quickly and it is very easy to maneuver around an obstacle. This was an advanced technique that can be performed successfully only by professional race drivers. They were are able to safely come to a complete stop and avoid potential accidents. Fortunately, today we can simulate the same technique without having the skill of real race drivers. ABS or anti-lock braking system is controlled by a computer chip to press and release braking system with specific frequency that can’t be achieved by normal car driver. The press and release actions are computerized so it is not possible for the wheel to get locked. The car will lose momentum and speed quickly; but we will still have complete control.
ABS is assisted by a sensor located on each wheel and specific information is sent to the main computer board. Based on the data obtained by sensors, the ABS will know how to properly apply pressure to the brake pads to stop the car as stop as possible without causing the wheel to get locked. The brake discs will clamp and release the brake discs, so complete motion freeze will not occur and the speed will decrease effectively. ABS can effectively save us from different kinds of road accidents. We should make sure whether it is possible to install the ABS in our old car. We should also know that low-end cars that are released recently may not feature ABS. Our car will be prevented from getting into the most hazardous situations. ABS is a real life saver and we will be able to ibtain added safety.
Obviously, there are dozens of safety systems that affect our cars. However, normal braking system has been shown to be somewhat inadequate to safely slow down or stop the car, especially on the slippery or icy road surface. ABS should be able to deliver unmatched performance and the overall performance should be quite high.