Sorry for joining the discussion so late, but I think I need to bring out an important point more clearly.
Often, we encounter situations, where not all four wheels are on a similar surface. For instance, the left wheels may be over sand/grit/ice etc., while the wheels on the right hand side may be on asphalt.
In this situation, a hard stop would produce an almost instantaneous pulsation in the brake pedal. Many drivers, would, quite naturally, feel that the wheels are at the limit of their traction, and would either let go of the pressure or, even more likely, hesitate to apply more pressure.
Ideally, one should ignore such 'warning' signs, and increase the pressure as much as possible because you need to maximise the traction available from the 'good' surface (the right hand side, in this case). The car would stop using the traction from the dry side.
Failing to apply the pressure properly in this case, would actually increase the distance over a non-ABS car, as has been correctly suggested here by some of you. Again, the point is to let the computer do the management of the traction. It is upto you to help it do that.
And yes, do not forget to steer! |