"Antilocks help by preventing lockup; a vehicle with such brakes remains stable during hard braking."
Brian O'Neill, Highway Institute for Traffic Safety
The antilock braking system (ABS) was designed by Frenchman Gabriel Voisin (1880-1973), originally as a way of preventing planes from swerving on landing . He first installed a system to keep airplane brakes from locking up in 1920. Several decades later, after limited success with similar systems in cars, a breakthrough came in 1978, when Mercedes-Benz announced the installation of electronic ABS in its S-Class car.
Theoretically, ABS can stop a serious car accident from occurring by allowing a driver to maintain control in slippery conditions or during an emergency stop. On an icy road, a car's wheels can lock up, sending the vehicle into a spin. In old cars that did not have ABS, drivers had to try to pump the brakes to prevent this. With ABS, the brakes are automatically pumped—the system senses the change in conditions and alters the brake fluid pressure accordingly. Meanwhile, the driver keeps his or her foot firmly on the brake pedal. Unfortunately, there is not very much evidence to suggest that ABS reduces accidents on the roads, partly because many drivers do not realize how the system works or how to use it. Several studies have been carried out that suggest ABS has been of little practical use, one even concluding that ABS may actually increase instances of single-vehicle collisions.
Manufacturers are now fitting cars with advanced safety systems. The electronic stability program (ESP) —developed in the 1990s—works during both normal braking and skidding. Some manufacturers are already producing intelligent cars that can completely take control of the vehicle in an emergency situation.
