Winter Driving Tips

KNOW YOUR CAR - KNOW YOUR BRAKES

In everyday driving situations, cars with both ABS (antilock brakes) and traditional braking systems are basically identical. In an emergency stopping situation, however, you must use two distinctly different techniques to stop your car.

The beauty of ABS is that pressing the brake pedal as hard as possible and holding it there allows the computer to pump the brakes while still maintaining some steering effectiveness. Remember that ABS can’t perform miracles: if you feel ABS engaging during everyday driving, slow down, because you are exceeding the reasonable speed for the conditions.

With non-ABS brakes, the cadence, or pumping technique, is most effective in an emergency, but you must lift off of the brake if steering is required to avoid an obstacle.