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Originally Posted by stingc
You mention dry surfaces, and then snow, ice, and gravel. You left out wet road, which is probably the most important use of ABS. From what I've seen, even professional drivers can't compete with ABS performance in the rain (especially if the surface isn't perfectly smooth). There just isn't enough feedback.
I'll give you that ABS can be detrimental on snow and gravel, but modern systems are getting much better at this. Regardless, I think the ability to retain directional stability is worth it. Periodically tapping the brakes in snow can also be useful to safely estimate to how much traction is available. The pedal kickback brings the driver to full attention right away as well.
By the way, an ABS stop from highway speeds on dry or wet pavement will save a lot more than 20 ft over locking the tires. That isn't even close to the best thing to do in those situations. Cadence braking can beat ABS in some situations, but I maintain that almost nobody has the presence of mind to do this in the real world (and very few can do it on wet roads in any state of mind).
I don't think that deriding these peoples' abilities is (necessarily) very honest. I'm much more experienced than most at handling cars at the limit, and I still have found that I didn't operate the brakes as well as possible in real-world emergencies with non-ABS vehicles (luckily, I still haven't hit anything because of it). I do fine at the track, but that's really not the same. There, you're fully alert at all times, almost always know when you're about to brake hard, don't have to worry about unexpected road imperfections, etc. The braking systems on race cars are also much easier to control precisely than on any street cars I've driven.
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I quoted the stats I had available. I left out wet road surfaces because I couldn't find any of my notes relating to that situation.
Allow me to make this perfectly clear - I have never locked the wheels in any car I've ever driven. God willing, I'll never be in a situation where I deem it necessary. It's a last ditch emergency option and should be treated as such. If, however, I find myself in a position where it
is necessary, I'd like to have the option available to me, which is why there's a certain fuse that's been pulled in my fuse box.
I have used threshold braking (aka cadence braking) in the past and, if necessary, may again in the future. Once more, I was trained in that technique by a professional. I've also received training in things like using the emergency brake when the hydraulics fail, training most don't receive and training that I directly credit with having saved my life on one occasion when an old brake line blew out. Most people, as I noted, do not receive this sort of training. A great many of them are taught things that are a bit shaky or even outright wrong. These are people wh do not have the inclination to learn the ins and outs; the lack of ability isn't necessarily a reflection of the driver's ability so much as it is his or her character and priorities. I love cars, I love driving them, fixing them, modifying them, racing them and nearly anything else to do with them. Such is my character that when I started driving I wanted to learn everything I could to know how to control my car. The first thing my instructor did was disable ABS in the car he was using to teach me and he then proceeded to teach me proper braking maneuvers.
Allow me to stress this as well; knowing when to use any given technique is every bit as important (if not moreso) than knowing the technique as well. We've established that there are circumstances where locking the wheels is the best option for emergency stops - why then does it make sense for someone who knows when and how to use that technique to have it forcibly removed from his repertoire?
I have not made the claim that ABS is universally bad, and you won't see me make that claim at any point. In fact, I'm pretty sure I said exactly the opposite; for most, it's pretty much essential. I personally would rather trust my own training and abilities and therefore do not like ABS in cars I drive. This is a highly personal choice motivated by the idea that in the majority of situations I believe I can decide how better to stop the car than a computer can.
I have also never claimed that driving at the track is the same as street driving. Again, I think I declared the opposite here; track driving is a situation where ABS is almost universally beneficial, since the conditions are nearly always optimal and a lock-up on pretty much any track I've ever seen would be a
very bad thing.
The fact remains that the vast majority of drivers are not held to a very high standard. I don't think claiming that is being dishonest, as it's certainly what I see as the truth. I can't make any universal claims but I do know that around here all that's required to get a license is a basic knowledge of how to handle a car - most of the drivers I know can't even handle simple tasks like parallel parking. People like this need the technology because they don't have the full understanding of what their car does, particularly at the extremes encountered in any situation where ABS (or a lack thereof) becomes an issue. I will not say that this is a good or bad thing; that's an entirely different discussion. The fact remains that ABS isn't necessary to all drivers. It can certainly be beneficial in proper conditions and for a lot of people it is very important, but it's not a universal.
My mother is a good example. My mother is the person who taught me the basics of driving standard. In 25 years of driving she has one accident and that one was long enough ago that I don't even remember it. I would not claim that my mother is a bad driver; however, she doesn't know cadence braking, she doesn't know how to use the emergency brake, she doesn't know what conditions are appropriate for a lock-up. For my mother these technologies that help her maintain control of her vehicle are very important. They provide a safety net for situations that fall outside her experience or training.
I have much less experience on the road than my mother, but I also have much more training. This is coupled with the fact that until very recently, I did much more driving in a given week than she did; this only changed when I quit my job, broke up with my (long distance) girlfriend and she started commuting. I have been taught proper techniques and have had sufficient time to practice them that I am confident in their use.
I do not make the claim that I am a better driver than my mother. I don't think of her as a better driver than me. We're two drivers who rely on our vastly different training and experience to handle the car in two different ways. The result is the same in that we both drive in a safe and responsible fashion; where we differ is how we go about it.
The technology is improving, but it's still unable to match a properly trained human except in a few given circumstances. It's the improperly trained humans that the technology benefits the most; I have always and will always maintain that. There may well be a day when I decide that ABS can stop my car more effectively in any given circumstance than I can, but that day has not arrived. I promise that when it does, I'll be the first in line to sing the praises of ABS.