tires

Which a good driver can do without the ABS, and in most cases, better. There are situations where ABS is very good to have and I certainly like that most people have it, but saying that it's better than a human can do is simply not true, yet.

no matter how good your tires

That's why I don't let the brakes stay locked if I'm too hard on the pedal. With A LOT of practice, you can get to a point where you can do better than the ABS. ABS is still a good thing when it comes to patchy surfaces, though. If they can make an ABS system that recognizes that, behaves differently in different situations, and can react based on the speed of the vehical, not just what it senses from the wheels, then they will have something.

To quote the following site; "Even professional drivers can't stop as quickly without ABS as an average driver can with ABS."

No... you don't do it better than the ABS system could.... by the time you have locked the tires then released the brakes yourself.... you would have already blown the shortest stopping distance..... you would have blown it the very second the tires locked.... which would not happen with ABS.

to quote a professional driver... "They're just saying that." The reason ABS is good is that no one can always be on. It certainly takes a little fear out and that prevents panic. I'm not saying it's bad. I'm just saying that I can do without it and have for almost 20 years and that saying that it can out do a 'professional' driver is not true. Unless you are talking about that guy driving the cab I saw upside down in the ditch last time it snowed... His car had ABS, I think.

I don't lock them completely or simply let off the pedal if they do start to lock. That's my point.

Doesn't happen when I am braking. I also don't 'pump' the brakes. It's not something special. I'm not saying I'm a god-like driver, or better than anyone else. Anyone can brake better than an ABS car depending upon conditions. Just takes practice and alertness and some finness with the pedal. Sort of like heel and toeing... Took me months to get the hang of that, but you can bet your ass that I can shift my manual tranny better than a computer can work an auto. You can think that a computer can 'think' faster than a human, but human's can anticipate and a computer can't 'feel' and can't read the driver's mind. Again...yet.

Apperantly... you belive you are a good driver... and you probally are!!!!!!! I have had with ABS and without it.... I can't really remember even locking up the brakes except on that rare occasion.... but I still prefer ABS to be there.... as you said, "The reason ABS is good is that no one can always be on." Call it "extra insurance"..... I still like it being there.

william. i'm not going to argue on your abs system because i haven't drivin your car. but you can try this one. put yourself in a safe situation where you know your abs will kick in.then repeat but shift into neutral. this way you and the abs work together and with your help you will stop shorter than just using the abs alone.

i can tell by your confidance in the system that yours works really well...but..80% of the abs system out there don't out perform the driver "if the driver knows what their doing".

and your right different cars do have different abs systems. my 97 monte carlo absolutly sucks !! it'll kick on if i'm braking and go over a pot hole !! and when kicked on it takes 1-3 seconds for it to shut off. some cars don't have this problem making their abs system more safe than mine. some can adjust every 10th of a second instead of just turning on a preset from the manufacturer.

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I'll give your suggestion a try sometime...... I can tell you that there is defiantly a difference between ABS systems thought. I have been driving my Dad's truck since he passed away about 2 years ago. (I inherited the truck but it still seems like it is his.... if you know what I mean.) Anyway.... I have seen behavior from the ABS system that is in the truck that I don't think I would have seen in my car. The first time was in a braking situation on a bumpy road.... I have heard of this problem before but had ever experienced it in my car. The other was is a deep (well... fairly deep) ponding situation in which a tire had hydroplaned.... nearly scared the crap out of me... the damn thing seemed like it wasn't going to stop!!!!!!!(Probally more or less the same as the bumppy road problem.)

I know... But it's what I do for a living, so I'm not trying to say I'm an artist or imbued with some special talent. I've driven in the worst conditions you can imagine and in a wide variety of cars, and I prefer not having ABS. I know where I am and through feedback, what I'm on and what I'm heading toward. The computer can only guess so well and has NO ability to anticipate what is ahead.

The thing is that, after driving post-ice storm here again, that the ABS forces you to engage it fully (mash the pedal) when it starts to engage, just to stop. And when only one tire, or two, is on ice, that's just not as efficient and the reaction time is way more a factor, at least to me. I won't miss driving the van for my Neon one bit...or even the Cutlass.