So can anyone tell me what will happen if I have ABS/don't have ABS if I'm going at about 80-90 kmph:
a) I Slam on brakes as hard as I can
b) I brake, release, brake, release, brake (assuming my brain is still functioning)
And what do you do with the gear during these situations?
for both the cases,
If you are driving an ABS equipped car :
a) You can slam the brakes fully and still you would able to swerve. although the stopping distance will be little higher than non ABS. You can leave the car in any gear and hold clutch to prevent stalling. (If you try to down shift direct to 1st/2nd it may damage the gearbox)
b) You pulse your braking then also you'll be able to steer but the stopping distance will be higher than (a).
If you aren't driving a ABS equipped car :
a) You will be de accelerating very fast but your wheels will lock, which would make the steering to stop responding due to skid. Also your tyre will wear out a lot BUT you would stop before an ABS equipped car. There may be cases where the hydraulic/power braking stop working (citation needed). This may make the brake heavier.
b) If you pulse braking on non ABS car, you will be able to swerve away but the braking distance will be the highest.
Unless you can down shift 2-3 times really fast in emergency you are better off leaving it in gear and depressing the clutch.
first of all, NEVER hold the clutch while breaking hard.
downshift depending upon the speed. if you are say at 60kmph.. you can downshift the car to 2nd and release the clutch. ( release it fast but not sudden.. I guess, comes with practise) downshifting always helps in breaking distance. and dont worry about the gear box. they are built to withstand the abuse. at the end of the day life is more important than gear box.
so, this is how I do. I might be wrong but...
1) press the break gradually while downshifting. hear a screech, leave the break and press again.
2) keep cool and look at where you want to go. not where you are going to hit. I mean, if you are going to hit a cow, look at its tail, not head. that way you will un intentionally steer away from the cow. This is also called target fixation.
3) most of the times, you forget to downshift. but thats okay. just remember to let go of the break when ever you hear a screech.
car/bike wont stall until the tires are spinning. so never push the clutch. if it stalls, no problem. because you would be still at that point. and just use the ignition and start the car. but dont push the clutch while breaking/turning. but again.. downshifting should be done with clutch. break...clutch,downshift,release clutch...rpm comes down then clutch,downshift,release... in the meanwhile if you hear a screech. let go of the break and press again. and keep eyes away from the cow.
see.... its like 3-4 threads multi threading at the same time... thats why you need ABS.
