Had an Accident, can anybody help me figure out what happened?

Sounds like normal ABS operation. With ABS the best thing to do in an emergency situation is just slam that pedal to the floor as hard as you can as quickly as you can; let the computer do the rest. Normal operation will result in a vibrating pedal and loud grinding noise from under the hood. Its always a good idea to take your car to a wide open parking lot if you've never used the system before and see what it feels like. Being able to stand on the brake pedal and still steer is pretty cool. Saved my ass (and my bimmer) the other week when the skies here in florida opened up suddenly and everything came to a screeching halt. I was able to to peg that pedal all the way to the floor and steer onto the shoulder at the same time to get out of the way of the dude behind me.

I never let up on the pedal, I just kept putting more & more pressure on it as I got closer to the car in front of me.

But I definatly got that rat-a-tat-tat.

The thing that I'm really wondering is why didn't I slow down as much as I should have. The car should have stopped before it did.

I'm just really c>It sounds like you managed to mash the brakes hard enough to activate the

"qslim" ...

From what you and Jeff posted, it sounds like ABS is just as hard to get used to as the old full power steering was. We're so used to the standard varieties, that these systems that are supposed to "help" us just make things less safe.

Natalie

The fact that the situation you describe is made less safe certainly isn't the fault of the system. The responsibility lies squarely on the user to adapt to new features and learn how to use them properly. How is a vehicle system that allows the driver to forget about pedal modulation and maintain better vehicle control under emergency braking a bad thing?

"qslim" ...

Maybe because our first reflex *is* to modulate?

Natalie

The thing is that I've had the car for 6 years, been driving for 27 years and this is my first accident.

I've had to stop short before and had no problems. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that the car FELT wrong. I'm taking responsibility for the accident, I can afford the insurance increase and all that. I just really would like to know what COULD have gone wrong. This is just for my own satisfaction.

I d>Well, in a panic stop (a stop where the brake is fully applied), the car

That hasn't been my own experience. Probably because I'd read about ABS - what the sensation is like & how to repond to them when they kick in - before I had them, & so had it in the forefront of my mind when I first bought a car that was equipped w/them. Was mentally prepared the first time they kicked in. I truly have never had the instinct to pump the brakes when the ABS feature shows up - just keep that foot down.

Cathy

If you don't think it was normal ABS braking, then personally I'd take it to my mechanic/shop & ask them to check out the brakes. Or call "Car Talk" & see what Tom & Ray think. :-)

Cathy

Well, thats still a failure on the users part to adapt to a new system. Like in anything else, garbage in, garbage out. Every owners manual clearly describes proper methods of using abs, and in this case the safety deficiency lies with the operator, not the properly operating system.

What constitutes New, I've had the car for 6 years

"qslim" ...

Dunno who you're responding to here, but I still think habit is a factor in operating a vehicle. Some things are more easily adaptable, for instance, the center dashes on my Echo and hubby's Scion seem more natural to me than "normal" cars.

But when one is in the panic mode of an accident, there are a whole new set of reactions involved.

Natalie

yes, you had an accident.

Presuming that you were on a relatively smooth, asphalt surface and that, indeed, that you DO have ABS brakes, you vehicle would normally have braked better. I suspect that one or more tires were very underinflated. However, it's, admittedly, a shot in the dark. Was there any sign of any sand or other granules on the road surface?

As much as it pains me, I have to admit that I have to concur with Cathy's most...also, there is not even a hint of LIEbrawlism in it. The salesman actually went over the ABS feature prior to my taking delivery of my 99 Camry. I actually read the manual and confirmed what he had said.

Dunno, but I'm so used to manual pedal modulation in quick stop scenarios, that I actually think I would feel more comfortable without ABS. One thing I like about non ABS, is if I'm not skidding on a tire, I can hammer those brakes, and I know that sucker is going to stop quick. I know to slightly let up if I start slipping on a tire.. I do it from instinct. I think ABS would bother me... But to each his own.. BTW, I have driven a few ABS vehicles, but never have had to do a panic stop in one yet to see what they feel like. MK

What do you mean by "really high?" A very far out idea is that the ashpalt was loose due to high heat. Also, in some instances the ABS may not have been functioning correctly and had air in the system, though this was a problem with the earliest ABS systems and I have not heard about this in many years. The solution was to rapidly engage the brakes in a safe area (do an "emergency stop" in an empty parking lot) until the brakes started functioning normally. Also, aside from inadequate following distance (following the 2 second rule, or about 12 car lengths for 60MPH) or slow reaction time, you might have some problem with the ABS system improperly adjusted.

Mike D.

99.9% of non-pro drivers can NOT out perform ABS equipped brakes. Some pros can, under certain conditions.

I'm confused as to why you didn't steer out of the accident.

Snip

I did a lot of research on ABS systems a few years ago for a safety meeting at work. Here are some of the interesting facts I found.

An ABS system will INCREASE the stopping distance on gravel roads and in snow because it will not allow the wheel to lock. The reason is that a tire sliding on gravel or snow will dam up a ridge in front of it that increases the friction between the tire and the road surface. However an ABS system will DECREASE stopping distance on ice or dry pavement by not allowing the wheel to lock or slide and preventing the patch of tire in contact with the road or the ice in contact with the tire to melt due to friction heating.

Most ABS systems have a hard time resetting while the brakes are applied. If you go through a patch of sand or ice on an otherwise dry, hard surface road with the brakes applied hard enough to lock the wheels, the ABS will reduce the braking effort while you are in the slick patch to keep the wheels from locking. However it can take several seconds for the system to reset and allow full braking effort to return after clearing the slick area.

ABS systems are mostly designed to compensate for a drivers lack of knowledge about the limits of his/her vehicle's performance abilities as well as the driver's lack of ability to take advantage of the vehicle's performance limits. This is not always the fault of the operator, it would be impossible for a pilot of a large airliner to know if one wheel out of 26 is sliding just by the feel of the plane.

As designed, they reduce the number of accidents due to loss of control. However they are not without fault. You may have experienced one of their faults with your loss of braking force leading to an accident.

Jack