Anyone See Some Donuts?

Today was a REALLY fun and cool (not the temperature however) day. Today myself and 2 others from my class got to go and do skid pad training. This training is to teach us how to identify, control, and prevent loss of control in the event of a skid.

The first question that was asked of me, "Was it scary?", not really to me anyway. It was interesting doing a 360 in a 17,000 lb truck however. It was also very educational to experience a jack-knife in a controlled environment and learn how to take corrective action.

We also had training on the proper use and conditions of ABS brakes. I can hear some of you already, "You needed training in ABS brakes?!". Your darn right, and I will bet you $50 (figuratively speaking of course) that you do too, EVEN FOR YOUR CAR/TRUCK/SUV! Lets test you on it, and I will prove it. Here are a few questions and at the end of the post I will list the answers. See if you know the truth about ABS.

1)scenario: Dry pavement, busy freeway traveling at 65mph.

Question: Which will take farther (longer distance) to stop?
A) A vehicle WITH ABS.
B) A vehicle WITHOUT ABS.
C) Both will take the same distance to stop.

2)scenario: Dry pavement, busy freeway traveling at 65mph.

Question: To make a emergency stop or to stop quickly in a ABS equipped vehicle which should you do?
A) Brake only as hard as is needed to try and stop in time.
B) Mash the brakes to the floor and hold them there.
C) Brake hard till you feel the brake peddle vibrate, release the brakes and then re-apply them again.

3)scenario: Snow covered 2 lane road, traveling at 35mph.

Question: Which of the following will stop in the shortest distance?
A) A vehicle equipped with ABS brakes.
B) A vehicle equipped without ABS brakes.
C) Both will stop in the same distance.

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Some of the other things that I really liked about the skid pad training was that I really got to find my own personal limits as well as the limits of the truck I was driving. You can assume what a spin out would be like in a bobtail tractor but until you experience it...... well it takes on a whole new meaning.

This training is one of the many reason that I choose Fox Valley Tech and I HIGHLY recommend that anyone that is considering going into truck driving make sure that they get this training as it really is that invaluable. Even if you have been driving for 20 years on the big road, if you haven't had skid pad training, pay the $200 or whatever it costs to get it!!

It just might save your life, or someone else's!

So lets see how you did on my little ABS quiz.

Question #1: Which vehicle will take farther (longer distance) to stop?

The correct answer is (B), A vehicle WITHOUT ABS.
That is right, a ABS vehicle will take longer to stop than a vehicle without ABS. This is because when the ABS system is activated, the computer that controls the ABS system allows the wheels to lock-up and then releases them so they start rolling again (this is to help maintain traction), then locks them back up. Every time the ABS system releases the brakes you are moving again with no effective braking so your stopping distance is increased.
So right about now your saying, "Then what is the point of having ABS?". The point is this, while it takes you longer to stop you are in full control while you are stopping. ABS will help prevent an out of control skid in hard braking and will allow you to steer. A non-ABS vehicle will be able to stop in a shorter distance, but because of the tendency to lock-up the wheels they are out of control and cannot steer while they are braking.

Question #2: To make a emergency stop or to stop quickly in a ABS equipped vehicle which should you do?

The correct answer is (B), Mash the brakes to the floor and hold them there.
ABS equipped vehicles have a little computer on them that controls the brakes. It essentially brakes the wheels until they lock-up, then releases them till they start rolling again, and then brakes them again till they lock-up again. It repeats this process until the vehicle is stopped or until you release the brakes. HOWEVER, the computer will ONLY engage when the brakes are FULLY APPLIED!
In an emergency stopping situation, you must fully apply the brakes (mash the peddle to the floor) and HOLD IT THERE. For many people, the first time they experience ABS they panic because of the pulsation of the brake peddle. Resist the urge to let up on the brake and keep it down and steer where you need to go to avoid an accident.

Question #3: Which of the following will stop in the shortest distance?

The correct answer is (A), A vehicle equipped with ABS brakes.
An ABS equipped vehicle will ALWAYS stop in a shorter distance than a non-ABS vehicle in slick driving contitions. The reason for this is skid control. Skidding in a straight line with the brakes locked up is even worse than not applying the brakes at all! The ABS equipped vehicle has a clear advantage here because the computer helps prevent a skid by releasing the locked-up wheel and allowing the wheel to regain traction.


Now some of you are going to say, "Dude you are WRONG!". Guess what, do your own research, learn how your ABS equipped vehicle works. You going to find out that I am right. Here is another thing I encourage EVERYONE to do, especially if you have kids that drive ABS equipped vehicles. Find an empty parking lot with lots of room. Drive until you are going about 15-25mph, make sure there is no one behind you, and mash on the brakes (all the way to the floor), and experience what it feels like when the ABS system engages.

Ok, "WHY?" you just asked. Did you know that 85% of crashes that involved ABS vehicles were 50% worse than they could have been because when the ABS system kicked in it scared the driver and they took their foot off the brake! Think about it for a second. You are already nervous/scared/panicked because your in an emergency situation, (doesn't matter how careful you are everyone will encounter it at some point) you aggressively apply the brakes and now the brake peddle is pulsating and vibrating in ways you have NEVER felt before. Human instinct kicks in, what do we do when something is not right or scares us? We stop doing whatever it was that started the "weird" thing to happen. Unfortunately in this situation, everything is working just how it is supposed to, but because it doesn't feel normal to us, we will take our foot OFF the very thing that is trying to help us.

So experience the sensation of your ABS in a controlled environment at a safe speed so you know what it feels like and how it reacts. So when your in that real emergency situation, your not surprised even more than you already are.