ABS saves the day

[prashanthyr]

When I bought my Santro 2 years back with ABS, practically everyone including the salesman told me it was a waste of 18k. Well, that 18k saved my car and someone's leg yesterday.

I was driving home from office on the road that connects MTR to Lalbagh west gate, when it started raining quite heavily. There were 2 two wheelers about 40 feet ahead of me. The chap on the two wheeler on left side - A Honda Activa, came to the right without warning and hit the one of the right - a Kinetic Honda, with the result that both fell and skidded on the road, less than 50 ft from my car. All that I could do was brake as hard as I could. The ABS warning light came on and the car stopped 10 ft from the fallen two wheelers without fishtailing or any dramas.

I shudder to think of what would have happened if my car had not stopped in time. Both riders were on the road and directly in front of my car! Thankfully, due to the nature of the road, speed was not very high (<40kmph)

My advice to all of you buying a new car: If you can get ABS in your car of choice, go for it!

[TrueDreamer]

So did you steer from your path to either left or right or just landed 10 feet before them?

[vikram_d]

According to me ABS is a must have in all vehicles today. I have been saved on a lot of occasions because of them. All this for no fault of mine.

An added bonus, I get to brake really late and into the turn using ABS on my track day sessions. Absolutely fantastic.

[akroy]

I know ABS is a very good feature and is a must in all cars.
But in your case, even without ABS the car would have stopped as you didnt steer abruptly and also you speed was below 40kmph.

Abhi

[vikram_d]

Very difficult to say if it would have come to a complete stop irrespective of the distance and speed. Also during panic braking, there is a very high chance of locking up the wheels. ABS just prevents that from happening.

Also he has mentioned that it was raining. This effectively quadruples your chances of skidding.

[skandyhere]

ABSolutely Essential safety gear.

True, as safety doesn't add to the glamour coefficient of a car-buy, many prefer to give it a go-by.

[shuvd]

Good thing that you opted for ABS. I absolutely swear by ABS! I always keep telling my friends/family to opt for ABS equipped cars. Few listen to me though.

[ram_hyundai]

Absolutely true and thank god nothing untoward happened to those people.you are lucky that you saved the day buddie.
ram

[PatienceWins]

Good you went for ABS.

The main reason I went for the top version of Getz was ABS. I was tempted to take the GLS version and get alloys and tyres from outside.

ABS is a must in our road conditions.

[alv]

Guys -
would an all around disc brake also help in a similar situation as quoted by <prashanthyr>- i am being offered a NHC vtec with all discs as against a Fiesta 1.6 sxi with ABS and the sales guy from honda says that ABS in mumbai is a waste!!

[prabuddhadg]

Prashanthyr, good that you chose ABS for your car. But what is really cool is how you had the presence of mind to notice the ABS light coming on during all the mayhem. I have my eyes usually glued to the road in such situations. But then my car has no ABS.

Originally Posted by alv

Guys -
would an all around disc brake also help in a similar situation as quoted by <prashanthyr>- i am being offered a NHC vtec with all discs as against a Fiesta 1.6 sxi with ABS and the sales guy from honda says that ABS in mumbai is a waste!!

Alv, the discs may be stronger than drums and therefore better at stopping, but in any case, equal (stronger) pressure will be exerted on all the wheels, and as a result, there may be greater chance of locking up with non- ABS disc brakes.

A friend's Verna has all round disc brakes and ABS (here in Mumbai). His car stops. That is the best option.

[sanjayatarizona]

@prashanthyr : Excellent choice of the ABS. No matter what the speeds, it always helps to know in the back of your mind that you have a second line of defence.
As far as i am concerned ABS and Airbags are lifesavers and an absolute must in all vehicles. When will our goddamn manufacturers ever realize that...

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by alv

Guys -
would an all around disc brake also help in a similar situation as quoted by <prashanthyr>- i am being offered a NHC vtec with all discs as against a Fiesta 1.6 sxi with ABS and the sales guy from honda says that ABS in mumbai is a waste!!

Do not listen to sales guy. ABS stands for Antilock Braking System.

ABS is a must for Indian Highways. ABS prevents the wheels from getting locked in emergency situations.
In emergency situations, you will have to slam brakes and steer the vehicle to avoid the obstacle. In non-ABS vehicle with all round disc brakes, you will not have any control over the wheels other than to watch the vehicle skid and it may hit the obstacle/ median/ other vehicles. ABS also reduces the braking distance of the vehicle on normal surfaces.

ABS saved me once: Vacant road, I was crossing manipal signal at speed above 60 kmph. A guy waiting on the side decided to land infront of my vehicle. He was standing right infront of my vehicle. I could avoid him narrowly after slamming the brakes only because the wheels did not get locked. I turned the steering to left and avoided him, the rear skidded little and touched him towards the end. He ran away and crossed the road. Everything was over in 2-3 sec. Thanks to Allah, nothing happened.
This happened in the heart of Bangalore city.

[vikram_d]

Most of the people think that ABS is of no use in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore etc as our average speeds are relatively low. But they dont realise that ABS is not for the low speeds but it is for panic braking irrespective of speed which can happen anytime and anywhere.

Dont listen the sales guy. Plus a honda city with all wheel discs will only lock up faster, unless it has ABS.

[diabloo]

Is it just me or anybody else who thinks without ABS the car would have stopped 15 ft from the target?

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

The ABS warning light came on and the car stopped 10 ft from the fallen two wheelers without fishtailing or any dramas.