ABS, Invented in 1929 by Gabriel Voisin, a French aviation engineer, for use in air-craft landing gear. The first production car to use ABS was a British Jensen FF in 1966.
It gradually appeared as a safety feature on new cars from 1970 onwards.
The EU law made it a compulsory fitment on all cars manufactured after 2004
Helps a driver maintain control of a vehicle when braking in low grip situations, because a car's steering will still work when ABS is engaged. The anti-lock brake system uses electronics to control the braking force applied to the wheels. Directional stability is retained by the anti-lock brake system by reducing the braking force at any wheel that is about to lock, this prevents the car from skidding about its vertical axis. An ABS system works by using sensors to calculate each individual wheel's rotation speed. If the sensors detect one or multiple wheels are rotating at different speeds, it will activate the ABS system to level this out by reducing the brake pressure for that particular wheel(s)
Cadence braking or stutter braking is a driving technique that involves pumping the brake pedal and is used to allow a car to both steer and brake on a slippery surface. It is used to effect an emergency stop where traction is limited to reduce the effect of skidding from road wheels locking up under braking. Cadence braking is useful when traction is limited, such as on icy roads or when different tires have different traction. However, it's not recommended for fast driving on high grip surfaces, as it can unsettle the car.
Cars manufactured from 2004 will have ABS fitted, but should the ABS fail during a journey, the ABS symbol will illuminate on the dashboard. This does not mean the brakes do not work, but means that the ABS side of the braking system may not work. If this happens you may need to revert to Cadence braking in the event of needing to stop without the brakes locking up.
It would be Highly advisable to have the vehicle checked out by a qualified mechanic as soon as possible to have the fault rectified.
ABS may stop a car slightly quicker than conventional braking on most surfaces mainly because an ABS system can pump the brakes substantially faster then a human can, which allows the driver to steer while braking heavily without the wheels locking up, whereas Cadence braking the driver will not feel the wheels have locked up and then release the brake pedal until the wheels have locked up, by which time, the locking up of the wheels could put the driver into a skid situation.
In certain situations ABS may increase stopping distance such as on soft surfaces like gravel or freshly fallen snow. This is because ABS prevents the wheels from locking, which can help the tires dig into the surface for more grip. In these situations, gentle braking and steering may be more effective.
Usually caused by driving too fast for the road conditions or weather conditions.
Steering too quickly which can cause a weight shift and cause a loss of traction.
Accelerating, especially harshly while turning.
Braking heavily, and especially while steering.
Under inflated tyres can cause a skid to happen.
Poor tyre tread.
Even a gust of wind could put a vehicle into a skid.
Reduced traction on the roads surface from things like Rain, Ice, Snow Leaves, Mud.
