Advanced Braking

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)

Think about this,

If a vehicle is doing 60mph (brakes not applied), how fast are the contact patches going? 0 mph – they are stationary in relation to the road and the road is not moving at all: static friction.

If the same vehicle now locks its brakes, how fast are the contact patches going? The same speed as the vehicle: dynamic friction. Dynamic friction generates much less grip than static friction so stopping distances increase significantly and directional control is lost if the steered wheels lock up.