Picture this: you are travelling at 100km/h on a highway, when the car ahead of you slams on its brakes. You have 2, maybe 3 seconds to react, slow your vehicle, and manoeuvre around the fast-approaching obstacle. Slamming on the brakes is the first instinct, and as you push pedal to floor, the car responds by stopping the wheels – and locking them into position. One more second, and the car is sliding straight ahead in a full screeching skid, taking away the ability to steer. The only way to regain grip with the road and steer around the looming object ahead is to take your foot off the brake. You are still travelling at 60km/h, and one second is left on the clock. Could you do it? For most, the answer would be no. Which is why ABS, or anti-lock brakes, was invented. The theory is simple: when the driver slams on the stop pedal, the brake is applied up to 15 times a second in short, sharp bursts to prevent the wheels from locking up. This allows you to steer while you brake - and in some situations help you stop faster. The technology has been readily available for years, yet it is surprising how many cars, albeit cheaper ones, still have it as a cost option. ABS requires sensors on the wheels which monitor the braking force and effectiveness, valves and pumps to activate the application and release of pressure, and the software run it all - and that costs money. As an option, it is usually bundled into a ‘safety pack’ with alloy wheels, more airbags or traction control, making it a relatively expensive prospect (from $750 to $2,000). But in an emergency, the last thing you want to be thinking – aside from forcing your rigid right leg to come off the brake pedal to prevent the wheels from locking up – is how you wish you had spent that little bit of extra money on a system that gives you more control over your car. More surprising is that our licensing laws do not require us to ever perform an emergency stop, so the first time some people feel ABS at work (or even know their car has it) is in a real crisis situation. The reason for many rear-ender fender benders has been cited as ‘brake failure’ when the driver, feeling the pedal pulsing underfoot as the brakes are rapidly applied and released, has instinctively taken said foot off the pedal. At least they would have been able to steer… And without steering, there is no way to control the car. Without grip, there is no way to steer the car. And without ABS, you stand to lose much more than grip and steering. To find out more about ABS, follow these useful links.
http://www.bosch.de/start/content/language2/html/734_2880.htm
http://rb-k.bosch.de/en/start/product_CS_01_BABR.html Next Month – Computerised car control: how traction control systems work. | 
