Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front
of
you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if
that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
.anti-lock brakes.
Using
Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the
system working, or you may notice some noise, but
this
is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time.
In
many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If
you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving
on
Curves
It’s important
to
take curves at a reasonable speed.
A
lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you
turn
the front wheels.
If
there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get
in
a curve depends on the
condition
of
your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and yom speed. While you’re
in
a curve, speed
is
the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
--
steering and
acceleration
--
have to do their work where the tires meet
the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
much
of
those places. You can lose control.
4-9
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