A Brief History of Anti-Lock Braking Systems

The Statue of Liberty is not the only world renowned object designed by the French.

Anti-lock braking systems, also known as ABS, were also designed by the French for aircraft around 1929. Before they put anti-lock braking systems on cars, if the road was slick and you slammed on your brakes, your wheels would lock up and you would skid out of control. So drivers would pump their brakes to create traction in a skid. Anti-lock braking systems pump the brakes for you. That’s what that vibrating and hammering feeling is in the brakes where it feels like the brake is slipping. Now, when you apply your brakes, rather than locking up, they still rotate, but they rotate at intervals. Because the brake is gripping the wheel at intervals, i.e. it is pumping the brake. So, when the road is slick, you no longer need to pump the brake. Rather, you only need to apply steady pressure and hold down the brake, while it gives you a nice, relaxing foot massage.

How Do Anti-Lock Brakes Work?

So, there is no need to pump the brakes anymore. In a car with ABS, the wheels should never lock in the first place, so pumping the brakes will just make you take longer to stop. They prevent wheels from locking up on slippery surfaces. So, all-in-all, better traction and better steering control are the main attributes to ABS.  An ABS does not necessarily shorten your stopping distance, but does allow you to keep control of your steering allowing you to have better control over your vehicle.

So, while the Statue of Liberty, French bread, French fries and French toast are all very important contributions to society as well as history, and the French maid is arguably the most noted costume at any party, the Anti-lock braking system is their greatest contribution of them all.

How To Apply Anti-Lock Brakes

• Press and hold the brake, you will feel the petal vibrating, don’t pump the brakes, just steer your car to safety.
• Keep your tires filled with the proper air pressure and make sure you have adequate tread.
• Allow enough space to stop.  Use the 3 second rule and if there are bad conditions increase the seconds appropriately.

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Don’t have your own car visible in your side mirrors. This is a common mistake that drivers make. You should always angle them away from you until the point where your car is no longer visible in either side mirror. This way there is no overlap between your side mirrors and the rear view mirror, and any car that is passing you on either side will remain in at least one of your side mirrors until it enters your field of vision. Professional drivers lean into their console and adjust their rear view and side mirrors at one time to cover any blind spots. If you don’t have a rear window, this is especially helpful, especially if you have a white serial killer van with no windows.

Pay attention to traffic before road signs. While road signs indicate when to yield, stop, etc. and who has the right of way, paying attention to traffic will certainly help to avoid an accident. This doesn’t mean that you should ignore stop signs or road signs, but that you shouldn’t rely on them and should always follow traffic and use your best judgement. You may be obeying the signs but there are others out there who won’t.

Always leave your headlights on. Because something lit up is always more visible (like your Uncle John at every Christmas party). Studies show that you can reduce your risk of being involved in an accident by up to 32 percent by driving with your headlights on at all times. But, if you are trying to save the life of the bulbs so they last the life of the car, at least use your headlights whenever there is inclement weather and always when you are on a high-speed roadway.

Use your parking brake/emergency brake when parking, even if not parked on a hill. It’s kind of a use it or lose it deal. So, just to keep it in good working order, try to put it on whenever you park. Getting into this habit may also save property and lives. Anton Yelchin’s family has suffered as the result of him not using his emergency brake. Don’t be another statistic.

If you blow out a tire, don’t slam on the brakes. Although this may be instinctual, applying the gas slightly and gripping the wheel as not to steer against the blown tire will avoid a fishtail. Do this until you can regain control until you can take your foot off the gas and let the car slow down on its own, naturally. And then you can change your pants. You should always carry a spare pair of pants along with your spare tire. And try to steer off the road on the same side as the blown tire, not against it. Don’t make sudden corrections and don’t try to re-enter the roadway on uneven pavement.

If you pull onto the freeway shoulder, never use your hazard lights because drunk drivers are attracted to flashing lights. Just like blonds being attracted to shiny objects. Rather, you should put on your signal light as if you are planning to re-enter the freeway (even if you’re not). Because approaching vehicles will expect that you may pull out in their lane and move over a lane for their safety (which in turn is safer for you).

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There are several areas of your vehicle that require wiper and other fluids to run well. The engine, transmission, radiator/cooling system, air conditioner, wiper fluid, battery and the brake system. If you need tips on how to check and change your engine oil, refer to last week’s blog Car Maintenance: Oil. Transmission fluid should be checked while the engine is running. The dipstick should be located near the oil dipstick, but consult your manual for the precise location. Since the transmission is a sealed system, unlike with engine oil, it should really never be low unless it is leaking. If you see a reddish-brown fluid leak, it’s likely transmission fluid. Then you should take it into your mechanic to get it checked out. If it’s blood, you should be shopping for another get-away car. Checking the radiator/cooling system should always be done with a cooled but not entirely cold engine. The radiator cap should be found toward the front and center of the engine. Or, if it’s a Smart Car, it will be located inside the glove compartment (just kidding…I don’t even know if they have room for a glove compartment). The overflow reservoir should be visible and right next to it. You should be able to see if there is the reservoir is 2/3 full. If it is below, mix 50/50 water and radiator fluid/coolant and pour directly into the radiator until your reservoir reaches 2/3 full. Since the air conditioning system is both costly and difficult for the non-mechanic to deal with, always have your mechanic check it out for you. As far as the battery goes, most newer ones are maintenance free. But, if you have a traditional battery, adding distilled water into the cells from time to time will increase its life expectancy. And, the brake system, like the transmission, is a sealed system. Consult your manual for location of the brake fluid reservoir. It should be 2/3 full. If not, top up to the fill line. If it appears to be leaking, take it into your mechanic to locate the leak.

This reminds me of something an old friend, Tom Ley, told me one of his hispanic landscapers would say when they’d see a pretty girl. “Huy pero qué curvas y yo sin frenos” Translated, meaning “Ah, what curves…and me with no brakes.” How romantic…that should be on a Valentines.

Summed-up … if your garage floor has so many colors of fluids splattered on it that it looks like a Jackson Pollock painting, you may need to be looking for another car.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Comedienne / Artist / Writer / Benevolent Thesbo

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The anti-lock braking system, although it’s only been in cars since the 70’s, was developed for aircraft use in 1929 by the French.  So there are two great things from the French. Anti-lock brakes and Inspector Clouseau.  Prior to the system being introduced to the automobile industry, in the past, when you’d slam on your brakes, your wheels would lock up and you’d likely skid. People would pump their brakes so they wouldn’t skid. Now, anti-lock brakes do it for you. It’s a safety system that allows the wheels to continue to rotate (rather than locking up like in the past), but they rotate at intervals, so you don’t create a skid. Giving you better traction, stopping distance, and allowing you to steer while braking (i.e. better steering control). If you think about it, having the ABS take care of the brake part, while you’re taking care of the steering part to avoid a collision is almost like having a co-pilot. This way, your mind can be concentrating on one thing, rather than two things at once in a dangerous situation. ABS works with your regular braking system by automatically pumping them. In vehicles not equipped with ABS, the driver has to manually pump the brakes to prevent wheel lockup. In vehicles equipped with ABS, your foot should remain firmly planted on the brake pedal, while ABS pumps the brakes for you so you can concentrate on steering to safety.  This is where some people get into trouble. They don’t realize that you don’t have to pump the brakes!

If you would like to know the effectiveness of ABS systems, in 2003, an Australian study found that ABS reduced the risk of multiple vehicle crashes by 18 percent and reduced the risk of run-off-road crashes by 35 percent. But remember, they only work if you work them properly. Apply steady pressure and hold down the brake. Don’t pump them! With all of the current safety featured in cars, people take for granted that these features will save their life in a crash. Not if you don’t know how they work and use them properly. Some people take more risks than they normally would have prior to ABS brakes and air bags.

Read your manual. Know how your anti-lock brake system works.  Shouldn’t there be a fine for not reading your manual?  Hmm…great idea for next week’s blog.

Until next week…drive safe.
Daun Thompson

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