ABS & Traction Control Systems
Driving is a risky endeavor. The danger is compounded when one has to confront adverse weather conditions, wherein drivers have to be extra vigilant with their behavior behind the wheel. A car's mechanical nature does not naturally compensate for such conditions. ABS and traction-control systems are designed to return control to the driver when driving on wet pavement, ice or snow covered roads.
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ABS Systems
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ABS stands for anti-locking braking system. This system allows the driver to retain control of a motor vehicle in heavy braking situations by preventing a skid. The wheels continue to interact with the road surface. Thus, the driver is able to steer out of harm's way. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, ABS works by automatically pumping the brakes when the system senses a wheel is ready to lock. Drivers who do not have ABS will have to manually pump their brakes to prevent the wheels from locking on wet snowy or icy pavement.
ABS were the new automotive marketing must have in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The brochures for the 1989 and the 1990 Lincoln Mark VII state the car is equipped with "four wheel disc anti-lock brakes standard." The copy for the Lincoln brochures reads as though ABS is a performance/luxury feature instead of a safety feature.
Traction Control Systems
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Traction control began to appear in large number of cars around the mid-1990s. This particular safety device is used to control wheel spin upon acceleration of the vehicle. As with ABS, it is designed to work on slippery road surfaces. A controller detects when a tire is losing traction on the road, and the traction control device (usually a computer) modulates the power going to the wheels so traction is regained.
A 2003 study by Monah University Accident Research Center found that traction-control systems maintains vehicle stability and enhances the longitudinal and lateral traction.
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Early Applications
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General Motors released versions of ABS and traction control systems in the 1971 model year. They were only available for the Cadillac and Buick lines. ABS was offered as an option on the 1971 Cadillac models. It was a computerized rear-wheel anti-lock braking system.
The traction control system was known as Max-Trac. This computer-controlled device came as an option on Buick Riviera, Centurion, Estate Wagon, Electra 225 and LeSabre models equipped with the 455-cubic-inch displacement engine. The 1971 Buick Riviera sales brochure states that Max-Trac measures the speed between the front wheels and rear wheels and "modulates the engine to control the power to the rear wheels."
Safety Studies
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The results of a June, 1999 study by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration found that ABS increased the stopping distance on loose gravel road surfaces by an average of 22 percent. The 2003 Monash University study yielded that ABS reduced the risk of multiple vehicle crashes by 18 percent. Other yielded results were run-off-the road crashes were reduced by 35 percent.
In Closing
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Sales brochures can yield the clues of whether a particular feature is available of a specific car. ABS has trickled from the luxury brands to the mainstream makes and models. Traction-control systems can be a standard item, along with ABS, or it could be an add on option. If a car is equipped with both features, stopping power and stability in bad weather are enhanced when a prudent driver is behind the wheel.
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