Quote:
Originally Posted by ShadeTreeMech
I kinda like ABS when driving on ice. Going down a steep hill in the ice one year with an ABS equipped minivan, I enjoyed watching how the van would get up to 15 mph, then it would pulse the appropriate brake to keep the van going straight.
Regardless of which is better, for many people who brake in an emergency, they freeze up which would be certain disater in a standard braking car, but with the ABS it might be ok.
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I didn't intend to argue that non-ABS is superior to ABS, but probably every one of those vehicles in the video had ABS and every one of them locked up. ABS is great on packed snow and asphalt roads, but on loose gravel and glazed ice the skill of the driver is more important than the technology in the car. Every car that I've owned with ABS (1994 Acura Integra, 1990 Chevrolet Silverado, 2002 Honda Civic EX, and 2002 Acura RSX-S) has at some point locked up on glare ice and ultimately, it was my ability to gently pulse the brakes until I could find insipient skid that saved me (although in the 94, I actually couldn't regain control before sliding into another car (complete bonehead move, driving on a 12-15% road I knew wasn't maintained during the winter)). Once all four wheels stop turning, the computer thinks you're stopped, so ABS no longer works. You need at least one wheel turning to have ABS work. Unfortunately, most folks don't know that until after the accident.