Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you neea
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
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation
or
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 your 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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