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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What to do in a hail storm

http://www.comedydefensivedriving.com/texas/ This video tip will let you know what to do when an emergency situation occurs while you are driving. Hail storms can cause severe damage to your car and can even harm you if you get caught off guard. Watch the whole series of short tips! Also, feel free to share the videos as well if you want, the more people to learn about this the better!

Have you ever been curious about the way hail is formed? Hail formation requires the perfect environment of strong, upward sweeping motions or currents of air. Each time the hail formation is swept up through the clouds, another layer or concentric ring is added to it. This happens over and over again until the formation is heavier than the wind is strong and it falls to the earth.

Another thing that I find interesting is that hail is usually described as the size of a sports ball, while tumors are usually described as the size of a breakfast fruit…just an observation.

Tips for driving in a hail storm

• Keep your radio tuned in to a weather channel.

• Be sure to use your headlights. Most states require you use them in rain anyway.

• Slow down. Call your boss or whomever you are trying to impress and tell them you are going to be delayed by weather. Tell them how hard you will be to replace!

• Allow extra breaking distance between you and the car ahead of you (use a 6 second rule for wet weather or a 9 second rule for icy weather).

• Move your car to a covered area and sit there until the weather alert has ended. A parking garage would be ideal as hail tends to bounce back up after hitting the ground at such a high speed and may bounce into your direction.

• If you stop, keep your seat belt on and put on your hazard lights. If pulling over to the shoulder of a freeway, put your signal light on instead, as if you are planning to re-enter the freeway.

• Whatever you do, if you stop under an overpass, pull onto the shoulder, do not stop in the traffic lane. Otherwise, people will think that you have already been hit in the head by the hail.

• Be extra careful in intersections for people who may not be able to stop.

• Be careful stopping or driving near power lines that may be weighed down with ice.

If you practice these recommendations when driving in bad weather, you’ll make it safer for you and everyone around you. And remember, if there is the slightest warning of approaching hail or any other kind of inclement weather, don’t drive unless it is absolutely necessary.

Until next week…keep your car and your head wrinkle-free.

Daun Thompson

Driving In Bad Weather – Comedy Defensive Driving

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This is why tailgating is most definitely a moving violation. With the rise of speed limits, the current following distance is now 3 seconds in dry weather. This is to be doubled to a 6 second rule in wet weather. And it is to be tripled to a 9 second rule in icy/snowy weather.

I believe that most driver education instructors teach drivers the following way. Once the car ahead of you has passed a stationary object, you should be able to count the appropriate number of seconds before your car passes the same object.

So, good luck there my friend! It may take you twice as long to get to your destination if you practice this method, but at least you will arrive (undead).

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

FOLLOWING DISTANCE – Comedy Defensive Driving School

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Following these simple principles may help us to avoid that which we all dread.
• Always wear your seat belt and make sure others in the car are wearing theirs too.
• Scan the road ahead. And constantly scan around your car by checking your side mirrors and your rearview mirror every 3 to 7 seconds so you always know where your safe “out” is (drive like a bobble head). This is super important…but your MAIN FOCUS should always be scanning the road ahead of your intended path of travel. This will result in better reaction time and no surprises.
• Always try to keep a three second following distance between you and the car ahead. This will help reduce the chances of a rear-end collision. Once the car ahead of you passes a stationary object such as a tree, mile marker or a dead deer (if it gets up and walks away, you need to find something else), count 3 seconds before your car passes that same stationary object. Double this rule in wet weather and triple it in icy or snowy weather. Keep a good space around your car.
• Change lanes properly. Use your signal, that’s what it’s for. It’s also a moving violation if you don’t signal 100 feet before changing lanes or turning and a common cause of car crashes. Newer cars have a blinker feature that will automatically shut off after 3 to 6 blinks (so you no longer have to be the “eternal signaler” that forgot to shut the blinker off).
• Be aware of your speed and keep up with the flow of traffic. Not keeping up with the flow of traffic is the current leading cause for crashes. So, if everyone is speeding and you’re not keeping up with the flow of traffic, you could be impeding traffic (which can be more dangerous than speeding). Driving too slow causes more crashes, but the high-impact of speeding crashes cause more fatalities. In other words, “speed kills.”
• Be careful when backing out. In a parking lot, you must yield to moving vehicles.
• Keep a good, clear view. Make sure you have plenty of wiper fluid, that the wipers work and your windshield is clean. If you can’t see well at night, if it’s that foggy, just get off the road and wait.
• Stay calm and alert and don’t be distracted.
• Watch out for blind spots and those in your blind spots (and you in theirs). Motorcyclists and bicyclists are especially vulnerable to blind spots.
• Adjust your seat and steering wheel to suit you.

And, for Pete’s sake, always be prepared to yield the right of way. Try to be a courteous driver. Let people over when they signal and they will probably do the same. It’s only going to create good Karma.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

A Crash Free Society – Comedy Defensive Driving

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