Hello.I am a Defensive Driving Instructor for a nationally recognized driver training program and I am conducting a survey. It would be awesome if you could answer the following statement for me:A) Anti-lock brakes are a must on my next vehicleB) It would be nice, but it is not criticalC) I do not like anti-lock brakes
There are only two situations where i feel anti-lock brakes are a detriment rather than a huge benefit. 1 is low speed on pure ice, the other is mud, and loose gravel/sand. In any other case anti-lock may be hard to get used to, but has been proven to reduce stopping distance and control. I Have had it save my butt a number of times, in a number of vehicles, from passenger cars all the way to Tractor-Trailers. And the argument for an experienced driver being able to out perform them has been proven wrong in all but the highest levels of racing professionals. A lot of people fancy themselves as much better drivers than they actually are. Fact is more than likely if you are not Tony Stewart, Michel Shumacher, or Cruz Pendragon, you should learn to trust and use them correctly.
Answer is A. I have had ABS since 1994. I like having them. I have driven a long time before I had a car with ABS. I believe this is a good safety feature. During the winter I mount dedicated snow and ice tires. Bridgestone Blizzaks. Offers tremendous traction on snow and ice. If car is not stopping fast enough when the brakes are applied, I put transmission into neutral. Really helps stop the car. Now if the question is about Traction Control, then I am not so enthused. Sometimes it is handy, other times it is a disadvantage.
I clearly fall within the faction that believes that EVERY passenger vehicle should be fitted with ABS. The situations where anti lock brakes MAY be detrimental would be so rare as to make it safe to disregard those situations. Otherwise it would be like stating that seat belts should not be worn because of the rare chance that, someday, the vehicle may fall, upside down in water and the unconscious driver would drown because he is wearing a seatbelt. It's a remote possibility, but there are countless other, very real risks, run every day, several times a day where wearing the restraint could save one's life. I expect that ABS will be required in EVERY passenger vehicle, someday, and I would support and applaud such regulation.
It radically expanded it because the steam engine is what got factories, mass ironworks, and most importantly, the railroad industry going and it was VERY important to the coal and iron mining industry. The railroad caused a HUGE demand for iron because it was needed to build the tracks, and coals massively expanded because it was needed to power the steam engine of the locomotives of the time. The steam engine was ultimately behind a massive increase in the amount of jobs and opportunities for people to work for it, changing it forever.
