ABS Brakes Pros & Cons

ABS brakes are an anti-lock braking system that prevents the wheels on your vehicle from locking up while you are braking. ABS brakes have a rotating road wheel, allowing you to have steering control while heavy braking at the same time. This prevents your vehicle from skidding on the surface, because the wheels are continuing to interact with the surface and help you avoid any dangerous situations.

Pros

ABS brakes are designed to help you stop better, which they do by preventing your wheels from locking up. ABS brakes work best on slippery surfaces, because they provide your vehicle with the shortest stopping distance. Because your wheels aren't locking, you still have control over the steering mechanism in the car and can avoid hitting any objects in your way.

Cons

Although ABS brakes are able to help prevent your wheels from locking up, it doesn't mean that they prevent all accidents. ABS brakes have been known to provide drivers with a false sense of security and make them believe that they have more control then they actually do. ABS brakes give you more control over your car, but you still don't have control over other drivers or objects.

Function

You should never pump the brakes in a vehicle with an ABS system. Pumping your brakes is used only in non-ABS systems to prevent your vehicle from locking up and making sure that your vehicle stays on the road. The wheels with an ABS system will never lock up, so when you are making an emergency stop, you need to hold the brake pedal down firmly. It's normal to feel the pedal begin to pulse, but do not take your foot off the break.

Parts

There are four different components that make up an ABS brake system, which makes them so effective, and they are the speed sensors, valves, pump and controller. The speed sensors are located on each wheel and alert the anti-lock braking system that the wheel is about to lock. The valve has three positions that help it work; position one is when the valve is open and the master cylinder passes the pressure onto the brake. The second position is when the valve blocks the brake line and prevents pressure building up, so the brake can continued to be pushed. The third position is when the valve release pressure from the brake. The pump in the ABS braking system puts the pressure back in the system after the valve releases it. The controller is a computer in the vehicle and controls the valves.

Warning

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, vehicles that are equipped with ABS brakes were not any less likely than non-ABS systems to be involved in fatal vehicle accidents. There are many theories on why this is the case. Many experts think that people aren't using the ABS brakes correctly, because they pumping them instead of continuously pressing down. Another reason why ABS brakes are not showing their effectiveness is because drivers are steering off the road and crashing into roadside objects.