The Benefits of Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)

Anti-lock braking systems, commonly referred to as ABS, come in most current vehicles. Anti-lock brakes are an active safety feature that are intended to help drivers maintain their steering control in a panic situation and prevent the car from spinning out of control. This is done by stopping the wheels from locking up during heavy braking.

Vehicles that do not have ABS can result in wheel lock when heavy braking occurs. When your wheels lock, this stops the wheels from rotating which will in turn cause your vehicle to slide. This can be extremely dangerous, which is why ABS is an essential feature of a vehicle. When your wheels stop rotating, you lose all steering control and cannot control which direction the vehicle is going. Having ABS ensures that it will be easier to steer the vehicle after heavy braking.

In this blog, we will be discussing the benefits of anti-lock brakes (ABS) and why it’s important your vehicle has them.

How do Anti-Lock Brakes Work?

First things first; how does ABS technology work? ABS technology helps your vehicle to come to a safer stop when hard pressure is applied to the brakes. Anti-lock brakes prevent your car from sliding when you brake hard. If your vehicle does not have ABS, you will need to pump your brakes to avoid spinning out of control due to the wheels locking up after a hard brake. However, braking hard is usually a panic brake, which means the driver usually would be in too much of a panic to remember to pump the brakes. This is why ABS is essential as it pumps the brakes for you.

Anti-lock brakes coordinate the wheel activity with a sensor that is attached to each wheel. The sensor controls the pressure applied the brakes, ensuring that all wheel speeds are moving together. Anti-lock brakes reduce the friction on both the wheels and road. This increases the effectiveness of the tires up to 30%.

Increased Stopping Ability

As we previously mentioned, anti-lock braking systems prevent your wheels from locking up during hard braking and prevents your vehicle from skidding on the road. ABS is primarily beneficial in poor and slippery weather conditions. As the road conditions vary as the weather changes throughout the year, ABS is a safety feature that you should have.

ABS has been a proven live saving feature for so many people as it allows the driver to remain in control of the vehicle. Losing control of your vehicle in poor weather conditions (especially icy roads) is a very scary thing but with ABS, that fear is eliminated.

Improved Traction Control

The anti-lock braking system has some of the same basic foundation as advanced traction control technology. ABS ensure that your wheels have tremendous traction while on the road. The major difference between ABS and Traction Control is that ABS stops the wheels from rotating while braking, whereas Traction Control stops the wheels from rotating while accelerating.

Increased Resale Value

Believe it or not, having ABS in your vehicle actually increases the resale value regardless of the kind of vehicle you drive. Because ABS technology is so standard on most vehicles now-a-days, not having ABS can actually lower the resale value of your vehicle.

Lowers Insurance Costs

Vehicles that have ABS technology can lower your insurance payments. Insurance companies love seeing vehicles with effective safety precautions, which will allow you to receive a discounted rate on your insurance. There has been significant proof that ABS technology can reduce your risk of accidents.

In fact, according to statistics provided by Brainonboard, there is a 35% decrease in frontal collisions on wet roads with the help of ABS. When searching for insurance rates from different insurance companies, be sure to mention your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. In fact, in a controlled environment, 58% of drivers whose vehicles did not have ABS ended up straying away from their intended path after applying the brakes.

How to Know if Your Anti-Lock Braking System is Functioning Properly

ABS is an essential safety feature in your vehicle, but it won’t help you if they aren’t working properly. If you aren’t sure if your ABS is working or not, an easy way to tell is by the way your vehicle brakes when you apply more pressure to the brakes. When you brake harder than you usually have to, you will feel a sense of pulsing under your brake pedal. This means that your ABS is working. You may also be able to hear them kicking in.   You will notice the stopping distance will increase but you will be able to steer the vehicle to where you want it to go and be more in control.

If you are unsure if your anti-lock braking system is working or not, our mechanics at Simone Performance can help you.

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Vic Simone

President & Class “A” Technician

Simone Performance