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Thank you for your interest in anti-lock brakes.
Anti-lock brake systems (ABS) are recognized by government and industry leaders as one of the most significant safety advances in modern automotive engineering. However, technology can't take the place of safe driving. Your best safe driving defenses are: be alert, allow enough stopping distance, and understand your car's safety technology. This brochure will help you understand how ABS works so that you can take full advantage of the safety benefits of the anti-lock brakes in your vehicle.
ABS has become an increasingly popular safety feature and was included in more than half of all new cars and more than 90 percent of light-duty trucks built in North America in 1998.
The idea behind anti-lock brakes is simple. Anti-lock brakes are designed to prevent skidding and help drivers maintain steering control during an emergency braking situation.
ABS eliminates the need to pump the brakes because ABS pumps automatically at a
rate of up to 18 times per second whenever a sensor detects the start of wheel
lock. Because the wheels are kept from locking up, the driver is able to better
control the vehicle. There are two kinds of anti-lock brakes - four-wheel and rear-wheel. Four-wheel ABS is found on passenger cars and some light trucks, and is designed to help you steer the vehicle and be more stable during emergency braking situations. Rear-wheel ABS is found exclusively on light trucks and is designed to prevent the rear wheels from locking up so that the vehicle doesn't skid sideways. The fundamental difference between the two types - four-wheel and rear-wheel ABS - is important for drivers to understand.
For more information about anti-lock brakes, call the toll-free ABS information line at 800-ABS-8958.
The "America Brakes for Safety" campaign is sponsored by the ABS
Education Alliance, a coalition of four anti-lock brake manufacturers in the
United States: Robert Bosch Corporation, Continental Teves, and Delphi
Automotive Systems.
