Emergency stops

[obi_waynne]

Following up on comments in another thread it is probably fair to say that we never practice emergency stops.:embarrest:

Even with ABS I think few drivers actually brake as hard as they could and wonder how many accidents could be avoided.

Perhaps we should all go out and practive our emergency stops.

Should we all post up our 60-0 time? (Only joking here :amuse

Do you think it would be a good idea to do an emergency stop?

 

[Prince]

In a perfect world we should never have to do an emergency stop but we all know this world isn't perfect! The idea of practising them makes sense, but I don't want to wear out my tires! I tend to ease off and brake instead of leaving it late. I think the last time I would have needed to do an emergency stop I just went round the obstacle instead as I wasn't going that fast and I could see nothing on the other side of the road.

 

[turbonutter69]

When i first buy a car this a thing I always do is test the brakes to see how good they are and to see whether pads or disks need changing. I don't do often I mean I don't practice it. But I have had to do an emergency stop on a few occasions quite recently actually and all of them was because the car in front ha NO brake lights. Luckily on all occasions I wasn't to close but the abs did come on a couple of times. But I wonder how can you not tell your brake lights are not working. When i'm driving at night an I brake an check my mirror I can see the reflection of my brake lights off sign an other things......

 

[prevtec]

fellas its like this
sometime in your life its going to be needed

i wrote a post before about claiming on purpose
but i was telling ye about almost crashing twice the same night
but having good reflexes and having to perform a emergancey stop saved me from crashing
everyone needs to practice them (in my eyes anyway) it will be needed

PRINCE im not being smart or bad in anyway towards you mate
but what would you prefer, a small bit of wear on your tyres
or a bent chassis??? god forbid it happenes to you or anyone

mate, practice them, it makes sense

 

[turbonutter69]

I'm not saying I don't practice them. Its just I don't practice it often. I do enough real emergency stops anyway due to idiot drivers that grace our roads. An it seems most of em live near me lol. I like to think my reflexes are good. I've had a few close shaves but never crash a car... Touch wood.....

 

[prevtec]

I'm not saying I don't practice them. Its just I don't practice it often. I do enough real emergency stops anyway due to idiot drivers that grace our roads. An it seems most of em live near me lol. I like to think my reflexes are good. I've had a few close shaves but never crash a car... Touch wood.....

yes mate, their out there but practice makes perfect

 

[HDi fun]

All of us can practise stopping quickly. The reason that stability systems and other such aids are, in my opinion, worthwhile is that they take control over the driver when the car reaches the limit of its natural stability. It's very hard to release brake pedal pressure when you're sliding towards the obstacle you're trying to avoid. Which is why ABS and other aids are universally popular.

 

[prevtec]

All of us can practise stopping quickly. The reason that stability systems and other such aids are, in my opinion, worthwhile is that they take control over the driver when the car reaches the limit of its natural stability. It's very hard to release brake pedal pressure when you're sliding towards the obstacle you're trying to avoid. Which is why ABS and other aids are universally popular.

your right in what your saying about all them aids
they have spent millions researching them, and wouldnt have put them in cars if they didnt help

but its you thats incharge of driving, nobody else,
and therefore should practice your skills as a driver
top of the range cars with saftey in mind are still involved in collisions
and the only way this happenes is because of the driver

 

[HDi fun]

I think what I'm getting at is this. ie. Don't rely upon such aids (useful as they are) and don't use up the last minute safety margins that they make available. They do work very well, but it is up to the driver, apart from maintaining mechanical control in a critical situation to make sure that you still drive responsibly, rather than taking up the slack offered by such systems.


It makes me sound like an old doddering driver but I drive well into 3 figure speeds when it's safe and sensible to do so.

 

[prevtec]

I think what I'm getting at is this. ie. Don't rely upon such aids (useful as they are) and don't use up the last minute safety margins that they make available. They do work very well, but it is up to the driver, apart from maintaining mechanical control in a critical situation to make sure that you still drive responsibly, rather than taking up the slack offered by such systems.


It makes me sound like an old doddering driver but I drive well into 3 figure speeds when it's safe and sensible to do so.

i couldnt have said that better myself (thats why i came accross as not agreeing with you)

 

[HDi fun]

in which case I apologise for my overly zealous comments.

I think what we're both saying is that such safety aids are very beneficial and can dig either one of us out of an unforseen critical situation. But they are only an aid to help out when things might otherwise get really out of shape. None is a intended to be used as a replacement for observation and anticipation.

Does that kind of cover what it is that we're agreeing upon?

 

[obi_waynne]

I still think even with ABS a lot of drivers do not stamp on the brakes as hard or as early as they should.

 

[turbonutter69]

I still think even with ABS a lot of drivers do not stamp on the brakes as hard or as early as they should.

Well I do have abs but yes I do try not to use it. But thats only because i've had years of practice without having abs. The only time my abs comes on under heavy braking is when I hit a grate in the road otherwise I try to stop it kicking in. This is only because I know of a couple of people who have braked heavily and the abs didn't work!!!!

 

[pgarner]

ive only had the abs kick in on a couple of occasions when there was snow on the roads.

i think the problem with cars with abs, like HDi and prevec said, is that the drivers are used to the better brakes and now drive faster and closer to other cars

 

[HDi fun]

That's the reason for the brake assist thing. It ensures that the brakes are fully applied asap in an emergency

 

[pgarner]

is that the one that applies the brakes if you lift your foot off the go pedal fast? it basically puts the brakes just on

 

[HDi fun]

Nearly,

if you suddenly release the throttle and immediately apply the brakes with the pedal moving above a certain preset velocity then the brake assistance is increased about five fold. Thus making the pedal very very light indeed.

The 406 has this and it can catch you out (and the poor sod behind!)

 

[steve09]

I dont really practice them that much in a car, as it has ABS, basically all I have to do is stomp on the stop pedel as fast and hard as I can and the ABS and ESP sorts out the skid (actually doing that in the new focus I COULDNT get the wheels to lock after stomping as hard and fast as I could, whereas the 207 I could get to lock up for a split second)

on the bike, now thats a different story, I have practised them quite a lot and get the back of the bike up a couple of inch's when slowing quick as I can.

 

[HDi fun]

Bikes are a different issue altogether. Even with the very finest of braking systems there's an art to keeping the back wheel down. Much like if you try to do a rolling bump start after a stall. You plant your ass hard as you can on the seat when your left fingers let up on the clutch.

 

[obi_waynne]

If you get braking wrong on a bike it makes more mess that with a car

 

[Rawdawg]

All of these sytems have their pros and cons, personally i hate ABS brakes.. sure they keep the tires from locking up, and allow you to manover your car, but on ice in alot of cases, especially here in Canada (yes im Canadian eh..) they dont allow you to stop fast enough, as i have come super close to writing off a moose, as well as the $60 000 company truck i was driving,

the pause even tho ever so fast when they anti-lock if you will, lets the vehical roll when it could have traction, and then your back to sliding on the ice again. where as if the brakes were locked, as much as the truck in my case may have slided around a little bit, would have caught every possible traction point the wheels went over. i ended up sliding towards the moose, and realised with the abs vibrating and doing nothing but take longer to slow down, pinned the gas, cut the wheel, and put it in the nice snow-filled ditch, putting a minor scratch on the bumper and a bit of a headache.

when your on ice, whether your ABS allows you to steer or not, 95% of the time the ice isnt going to allow you the traction to steer where you want anyways.

___________________________
Dawg

 

[Rawdawg]

just from my experiences, some people may love them, all power to you. just my 2 cents

 

[obi_waynne]

I think we are all agreed that ABS is not good in snow and ice. Might be worth carrying an anchor

 

[HDi fun]

It can also be a problem on loose gravel, hence the reason rally cars have it disabled. The snow and ice issue is not so much of an issue here in the UK so I personally don't find ABS a distraction.

 

[prevtec]

in which case I apologise for my overly zealous comments.

I think what we're both saying is that such safety aids are very beneficial and can dig either one of us out of an unforseen critical situation. But they are only an aid to help out when things might otherwise get really out of shape. None is a intended to be used as a replacement for observation and anticipation.

Does that kind of cover what it is that we're agreeing upon?

yeah mate, thats it

 

[prevtec]

in snow and ice conditions you shouldnt be going fast enough to rely on abs or normal emergancy braking
in any slide you should never use brakes, its better to cure a slide with acceleration and control,

 

[prevtec]

i should have mentioned black ice in that post
its invisable to motorists i know
but if people took warnings and sign posts seriously, there would be fewer accidents

 

[turbonutter69]

I think we are all agreed that ABS is not good in snow and ice. Might be worth carrying an anchor

I once had a 306 xsi 2litre. And the ABS was amazing on the snow. I was playing in the snow an got a bit out of shape an the ABS sorted it out no problem took me round the corner nice an easy and avoided me from hittin a parked car. Very good ABS......:bigsmile:

 

[RobBentley]

I have to say the ABS/ESP/EDL/TCS and whatever else my car has I can't begin to commend enough. Its lightening fast to react but its not intrusive - when cornering fast it'll hold you on the very edge of adhesion.

That said it does prevent you spinning the car through 180 degrees (A) - Did that once and it came back to haunt me. My passenger threw chocolate milkshake everywhere.

 

[turbonutter69]

That said it does prevent you spinning the car through 180 degrees (A) - Did that once and it came back to haunt me. My passenger threw chocolate milkshake everywhere.

lol Oh dear :sad2:

 

[RobBentley]

Yeah - wasn't good. Wasn't on a public road I hasten to add !