Just a technical thing though.ABS is a valuable safety feature because it allows you to steer not because it stops you more quickly. It's quite possible to beat abs stopping distances in a non abs car. The friction quotient is far higher with a locked tyre, so you stop in a shorter distance. Abs allows you to steer around the child, but you can do that by releasing the brake pedal. But for straight line stopping distance non abs wins. Nick
If you think that locked up tyres will stop you faster than rolling tyres on anything short of snow and gravel at relatively low speeds then you need to go out and practise! Maximum braking force is when the tyre is just on the point of locking up but definitely not locked up. One of the less discussed joys of good ABS systems is that you can practise hard braking by increasing the pedal force till the ABS starts to kick in and then easing and re-applying the brake. Rather like cadence braking but with the ABS safety net. While you can out brake an ABS equipped car on an even, consistent surface, the chances of managing it when the friction is different side to side - think puddle or some gravel on the road - are very low indeed. What ABS is brilliant for isn't maximum braking force, it's much more about maintaining control when a sudden panic brake is required. I'm quite happy to do without ABS in my three wheeler but am delighted to have it in pretty much everything else.
