What is the function of the anti-lock braking system (ABS) applied in cars?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
A. It helps to change the course of driving while braking.
Explanation
In the photo you can see the red ABS warning light. The anti-lock braking system prevents the wheels from locking during braking, so the car remains steerable and you can change your path while braking - answer A. ABS does not shorten the braking distance in all conditions (B), and it is the traction control system, not ABS, that prevents the drive wheels from losing grip when accelerating (C).
A locked wheel turns into a sliding runner: it does not transmit side forces, so the car does not respond to the steering wheel and goes wherever its momentum carries it. A dozen or more times per second, ABS releases and reapplies the brake on a wheel that is starting to lock, keeping it at the limit of grip. On dry asphalt, the braking distance is then close to the best braking without ABS; on loose snow or gravel it can be longer. The Road Traffic Act requires you to brake in a way that does not cause danger - with ABS you do this more simply: you press the pedal all the way down and steer.
Legal basis: Art. 19 para. 2 point 2 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)