I Hate Anti-Lock Brakes
Those of you from warmer climates may not appreciate this, but I absolutely despise anti-lock brakes. Or as my dad and I both like to call them, “Anti-Stop Brakes.” Maybe it’s because I learned to drive on a vehicle that did not have them. In fact, my current car is the first vehicle I’ve driven that does have anti-lock brakes. I’d rather have brakes that lock when I apply them than brakes that skid me into the middle of intersections for no apparent reason.
We got a dusting of snow overnight last night, and a lot of the less traveled roads were pretty slick this morning. Slick enough, in fact, that I nearly got into an accident. Twice. The first time, I was almost completely stopped at a red light when my anti-lock brakes decided to activate, and I finally stopped sliding mere inches from the bumper of the car in front of me. Seriously? I was practically stopped as it was, WHAT was the point of that?
The second time I was slowly approaching a stop sign and gradually stopping when, once again, the anti-lock brakes took over, I slid halfway through the intersection and narrowly missed hitting a TRUCK that was there before I was. Thankfully he was able to stop! I don’t know, but when I had my cars without anti-lock brakes, I ended up in a snow bank once after making a turn, but I didn’t skid into intersections– my car stopped!
And did you know that you can be driving on completely dry pavement and have the same problem? You know, if you need to slam on your brakes to avoid hitting some obstacle in your path, or you just brake too hard, your anti-lock brakes can activate causing you to hit said obstacle anyways? Ask me how I know…
Okay, I’m done venting. This rant brought to you by DirectBuy where you can buy merchandise at manufacturer direct prices. 
January 14th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Wow! That is pretty crazy. Even though I haven’t had that problem with anti-lock brakes (yet), I totally agree. I like my good ol’ fashoined pump-’em-when-they-lock brakes!
What kind of car do you have? I have an ’07 Kia Rio. Big man in a tiny car is great!
January 14th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
A bit scary, they could be dangerous if we have problems with them like that. But i must say im a fan of anti-lock at the moment, i may change my mind in the near future pending there performance.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:51 am
OMG how scary! I’m glad you are okay!
January 16th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
ABS is a great braking system, but it will not stop you on a dime. They will also stop you in a shorter distance than non-ABS Brakes. Three things decide how long it will take you to stop. They are: Contact Patch(where the rubber meets the road surface), your speed and the weight of your vehicle. I suggest that you go in a parking lot and apply your brakes hard on a slick(wet, etc) surface so that you will get use to them. One can also steer with ABS brakes. Never STAB your brakes with any type of braking system, always SQUEEZE the brakes. Think of your brakes as a big sponge and squeeze the water out, never JAB the water out.
December 17th, 2010 at 3:18 am
Randy is just spreading the lies of the auto industry.
“many” ABS equiped cars stop faster on tarmac than regular.
on snow, ice, and gravel, abs is proving to INCREASE your stopping distance, especially on gravel.
insurance companys get mad when you disable your abs, even if you spend half the year on snow and ice (like me) and often are on gravel roads.
The vehicles I drive at work are all abs. They are often doing situations like above, usually i’m the only car on the road, but i hate when I’m going 2mph, about the stop, the abs kicks in and now my steering wheel is being shaken out of my hands.
My car is too old to have them, and i WIIL NOT buy a new car ever again.
January 7th, 2011 at 9:02 am
I totally agree with you! They serve NO purose but to hurt you..I know two families that have lost loved ones because of those brakes..They believe the brakes is why the little children are dead…. It is very simple… When you need to stop. You need to stop. Now. Not later…. Pumping is not for accidents. Most accidents– you have less then seconds to decide what to do–let alone stop. Not pump and pump…. Common sense.people really… Those brakes kill people.
June 17th, 2011 at 1:17 am
In driving ford vans,
I find older style ABS brakes annoying but not dangerious.
New ABS brakes SUPERB in summer, and totally DEMONIC AND F-ING CRAZY DANGERIOUS in winter. I have the same problem about 1% of the time.
so when i drive 8 hours a day in the city, 1 out of a 100 times i step on the brakes, i will have no brakes! thank you abs for denying me brake pressure because you know better than i do.
I’ve never heard of them being a problem in the summer though.
people say “oh abs lets you steer”,, if you want to steer, unlock your brakes and use the steering wheel. if i want to stop, i want the option to stop.