I've Crashed AGAIN!! 2 Times in 2 Months!!

[swales_p]

Well ive never crashed into anyone EVER before then comes the months of December and Jan and its now becoming my new hobbie!!

Both times have been exactly the same, sliding into a car at the roundabout with the ABS not kicking in at all!!

The only argument i have is that (i wasnt going fast both times, ok the car in front broke extremely suddenly without anything coming from the right direction) the car just broke into a skid and WHACK!!! i hit the car in front!!

Oh and both times, the woman got out the car (im not being sexist here by the way) and said 'didnt you see me'. Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Has anyone else had problems with the ABS or general handling of these cars when braking?

Anyway, the cherished Green Machine is back into the body shop BUT will come back stronger than ever!

Gutted

 

[m0rk]

ABS won't stop you - will just let you steer past them.

check your ABS does work though (and the bulb's not blown)

 

[chris285]

yeah its just allowing you to steer around objects when braking

sounds like it may be a more fundamental brake problem, or you are just unlucky

 

[Jamin Berry]

Women eh? always stopping at those dang namit roundabouts!

 

[luckymjr]

I hate roudabouts

Only stop at em when i really have to ,

Mark

 

[mark sheerin]

There's probably nothing wrong with the brakes just perhaps you aren't thinking ahead properly..more a driver experience issue.
The roads are very slippy this time of year too.. I am never happy or confident with grip levels until I know the last of the winters grit has been washed from the roads with the spring showers... even wet roads have more grip than a road with a dusting of road salt.
Also are you actually braking hard enough to actually make the abs work..you would be surprised how hard you need to squash that pedal to make them work. As you said you weren't going fast so perhaps you didn't realise you had to be so severe on the brakes.
try a brake test on a quiet road preferebly wide and straight...(industrial estates on a sunday are good for this as they aren't generally gritted either)
get up to 50 and then really slam on the anchors..if your brake pedal seems to judder and a light flashes on your dash then the abs are working fine.
Mercedes developed their brake assist system that takes over braking from you in an emergency as it was discovered most people sensing a skid happening actually lift their foot back off the brake when the abs kicks in instead of keeping it mashed down.
All driving takes practice even the things that you don't do very often or expect to ever need.

 

[Ron_Cupra8v]

Well said, it's surprising how many people don't actually know what if feels like when the ABS kicks in and think something is broken with their brakes. I've advised a number of people to do as you suggest and try and emergency stop on a quiet road so that they know what to expect from the ABS.