Like steering, braking is also a field where there are many techniques. However, unlike steering, it's more crucial to know precisely how to brake to the maximum.
In generall, I will refer to none-ABS cars, and it will be easy to assume from it what to do with ABS.
1. Cadance braking
This is a technique which generally involves pumping on the brakes. While it is argueable that with old car, that had oldschools drum brakes and un-boosted master cylinders, such a practice might have been efficient. In a modern car, however, it's completly useless. Not only will this not shorten the braking distance, but make it significantly larger, but it will not nessecarly provide you with better control or steerablity. Constant lock-up and releases, along with agressive weight shifts are upsetting the car. Any steering input, unless very well orchastrated with the pedal-work, may not work, and increase braking distance even more. If the wheels to manage to regain rotation, the car might spin round. Additionaly, the ability to make an evasive manouver depends primarly about speed. In cadance braking you are not wiping off speed efficiently, and tend to fixate on the target.
It will also not improve "communication with the driver behind", since a driver that will not notice the screatch of your tires is bound not to notice flashing brake lights. Also, what to do with the clutch and gears? De-clutch can lead to increased speeds while releasing, due to lost of engine braking, or it can lock-up the driving wheels, and cause a lost of control. If not used, though, the engine will shut down. In an automatic, the engine will rev up as the brake is released.
Additionaly, in real-life, the road conditions, car conditions (tires, shocks) are not pefect. As are driver conditions: the driver has perception time and reaction time. Than he usually hesitates, starts off weak, increases pressure, and than starts to pump rapidly, usually not even reaching deep enough with the pedal to enable a strong braking force.
2. Progressive braking
This is an improved method, where the driver squizzes the brake pedal up to the threshold of locking-up wheels. It's a bit more efficient than pumping, but it's still making the car stop quite a large distance away. Additionaly, drivers usually don't squizze quick enough, or don't really brake at the threshold, or have a hard time keeping it.
Hesitation is a sort of progressive braking that is naturally done by drivers when they see an emergency. Drivers don't stomp on the brakes, they usaully prefer starting off with relatively light pressure, and when they see it's no good, they progressively increase braking pressure, locking up only the front tires, if at all. Look at skid marks near crashes, they are usually short and appear just before impact. This means the driver hesitated, or tried to brake progressively.
3. Regressive braking
This is a much better practice, and it's my reconmendation for braking in race tracks, or for professionals. It's about starting off hard, sometimes even locking-up the wheels, and than releasing up to the threshold and keeping it, usually by constantly releasing more and more pressure. It's still hard for the average driver, even if he had some training. A common mistake is to think you are braking hard, or at the threshold, while actually applying only 605 braking pressure.
4. Stomp braking
My reconmended method, which has been adapted by some of the newer defensive driving schools, is a simple method: stomp on the brakes, untill the car stops. If done without hesitation, and on good tires, it can stop the car quickly and under control, even on slippery roadways.
And about "lost of control"? a car riding on four locked wheels will not lose control, as it will be sliding forward in the direction the inertia is pushing it towards. Yes, road conditions are not perfect, but they will, at most, cause the car's nose to "step out", so it's pointing a bit sideways, while the whole car keeps on sliding head-on. The car won't spin, as sometimes demonstrated on skidpans in ABS-commercials. Even with two wheels on a gravel shoulder, braking hard and locking up all wheels makes the car stop pitched forward, or with a slight angle towards the roadway (again, no matter the angle, even in a spin, the car keeps on going straight forward).
For evasive purposes, the brake pressure can be released for the sake of steering. Never steer before braking. Wipe off speed with braking, to allow for an easy lane change or to soften the blow, if it occurs. With ABS, no releasing is nessecary.
For braking while turning, the brakes can be applied hard, but not all the way, about 70%, with the steering wheel retracted a bit to stabilize the back-end. With ABS, the brakes can be stamped to the maximum in this case.
Skidding and braking
One of the stupidest rules is that you shouldn't brake while skidding. If we take an understeer situation, for an example, the best response is to ease off of the pedals, steer where you want to go (slightly sharper into the corner), and -- if nessecary -- dab the brakes.
In an oversteer situation, in theory, the same applies: ease off of the pedals, steer where you want to go (against the direction of the corner), and apply light accleration if nessecary. However, in this case, making this manouver can be quite challenging, and can cause a pendulum effect, where the car will spin the other way (This is exceptionally dangerous if you just "steer into the skid and hit the gas"). This pendulum skid, will be far more severe than the original skid, because the inertia will now push your car more out of balance and towards the outside of the bend.
It's therefore much more advised, for normal road drivers, to stamp the pedal (and retract a bit of steering). This can pull the car out of the slide, or wipe off speed quickly enough, to enable a later recovery, or to stop the car, while it's still in it's lane of intended travel.
Emergency braking, ladies and gentlemen -- maximum braking in minimum time!
In generall, I will refer to none-ABS cars, and it will be easy to assume from it what to do with ABS.
1. Cadance braking
This is a technique which generally involves pumping on the brakes. While it is argueable that with old car, that had oldschools drum brakes and un-boosted master cylinders, such a practice might have been efficient. In a modern car, however, it's completly useless. Not only will this not shorten the braking distance, but make it significantly larger, but it will not nessecarly provide you with better control or steerablity. Constant lock-up and releases, along with agressive weight shifts are upsetting the car. Any steering input, unless very well orchastrated with the pedal-work, may not work, and increase braking distance even more. If the wheels to manage to regain rotation, the car might spin round. Additionaly, the ability to make an evasive manouver depends primarly about speed. In cadance braking you are not wiping off speed efficiently, and tend to fixate on the target.
It will also not improve "communication with the driver behind", since a driver that will not notice the screatch of your tires is bound not to notice flashing brake lights. Also, what to do with the clutch and gears? De-clutch can lead to increased speeds while releasing, due to lost of engine braking, or it can lock-up the driving wheels, and cause a lost of control. If not used, though, the engine will shut down. In an automatic, the engine will rev up as the brake is released.
Additionaly, in real-life, the road conditions, car conditions (tires, shocks) are not pefect. As are driver conditions: the driver has perception time and reaction time. Than he usually hesitates, starts off weak, increases pressure, and than starts to pump rapidly, usually not even reaching deep enough with the pedal to enable a strong braking force.
2. Progressive braking
This is an improved method, where the driver squizzes the brake pedal up to the threshold of locking-up wheels. It's a bit more efficient than pumping, but it's still making the car stop quite a large distance away. Additionaly, drivers usually don't squizze quick enough, or don't really brake at the threshold, or have a hard time keeping it.
Hesitation is a sort of progressive braking that is naturally done by drivers when they see an emergency. Drivers don't stomp on the brakes, they usaully prefer starting off with relatively light pressure, and when they see it's no good, they progressively increase braking pressure, locking up only the front tires, if at all. Look at skid marks near crashes, they are usually short and appear just before impact. This means the driver hesitated, or tried to brake progressively.
3. Regressive braking
This is a much better practice, and it's my reconmendation for braking in race tracks, or for professionals. It's about starting off hard, sometimes even locking-up the wheels, and than releasing up to the threshold and keeping it, usually by constantly releasing more and more pressure. It's still hard for the average driver, even if he had some training. A common mistake is to think you are braking hard, or at the threshold, while actually applying only 605 braking pressure.
4. Stomp braking
My reconmended method, which has been adapted by some of the newer defensive driving schools, is a simple method: stomp on the brakes, untill the car stops. If done without hesitation, and on good tires, it can stop the car quickly and under control, even on slippery roadways.
And about "lost of control"? a car riding on four locked wheels will not lose control, as it will be sliding forward in the direction the inertia is pushing it towards. Yes, road conditions are not perfect, but they will, at most, cause the car's nose to "step out", so it's pointing a bit sideways, while the whole car keeps on sliding head-on. The car won't spin, as sometimes demonstrated on skidpans in ABS-commercials. Even with two wheels on a gravel shoulder, braking hard and locking up all wheels makes the car stop pitched forward, or with a slight angle towards the roadway (again, no matter the angle, even in a spin, the car keeps on going straight forward).
For evasive purposes, the brake pressure can be released for the sake of steering. Never steer before braking. Wipe off speed with braking, to allow for an easy lane change or to soften the blow, if it occurs. With ABS, no releasing is nessecary.
For braking while turning, the brakes can be applied hard, but not all the way, about 70%, with the steering wheel retracted a bit to stabilize the back-end. With ABS, the brakes can be stamped to the maximum in this case.
Skidding and braking
One of the stupidest rules is that you shouldn't brake while skidding. If we take an understeer situation, for an example, the best response is to ease off of the pedals, steer where you want to go (slightly sharper into the corner), and -- if nessecary -- dab the brakes.
In an oversteer situation, in theory, the same applies: ease off of the pedals, steer where you want to go (against the direction of the corner), and apply light accleration if nessecary. However, in this case, making this manouver can be quite challenging, and can cause a pendulum effect, where the car will spin the other way (This is exceptionally dangerous if you just "steer into the skid and hit the gas"). This pendulum skid, will be far more severe than the original skid, because the inertia will now push your car more out of balance and towards the outside of the bend.
It's therefore much more advised, for normal road drivers, to stamp the pedal (and retract a bit of steering). This can pull the car out of the slide, or wipe off speed quickly enough, to enable a later recovery, or to stop the car, while it's still in it's lane of intended travel.
Emergency braking, ladies and gentlemen -- maximum braking in minimum time!
Last edited:
) to apply.
