ABS – what is it?
ABS (German: Antiblockiersystem, English: Anti-Lock Braking System) is an acronym known to probably every driver, even those who would rather never look under the hood of a car. It is one of the basic safety systems in modern cars and in extreme situations it can save health and even life. It is worth knowing why it was created and how it works.
Work on a solution to prevent wheel lockup during braking was carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. A car with a similar system appeared in the 1960s, and in 1978 the first car with ABS, a brainchild of Bosch, came onto the market. Its popularity grew to such an extent that since 2004 all new cars sold in the European Union must be equipped with this system.
The purpose of ABS is primarily to allow the car to be controlled during sudden braking. The system prevents the wheels from completely locking up and the car from skidding. This makes it possible to avoid an obstacle while decelerating. It also helps to shorten the braking distance, although not always, because the type of surface on which the vehicle is travelling has a large impact here.
The principle of ABS operation is quite simple and has not changed over the years. Each wheel has a sensor that measures its rotational speed. The collected data is sent to the controller. When one of the wheels stops rotating, the system limits the braking force directed at it until it regains traction. Of course, everything happens at a dizzying pace, and ABS constantly interferes with the operation of the brakes. This can be recognized by the characteristic pulsation of the brake pedal during emergency braking.
ABS is one of the systems that revolutionized motoring and increased road safety. All cars in the MobiCars offer are equipped with it, many also with other systems that increase safety. However, it must be remembered that none of them, even the most advanced, can replace common sense on the road.
Have a safe trip!
