Originally posted by JB1:
in the dirt abs will take longer to stop as well

Originally posted by Zetetic:

Our natural reaction to impending collision is a surge of adrenaline followed by slamming down on the "stop me so I don't kill myself pedal," not so much "let me apply and then feather the pedal so as to achieve optimum braking levels"


the point of learning to drive is to learn to stop being the former and begin being the latter.



Learn to stop having natural reactions? No, I would argue part - but not the point of - of learning to drive is learning to be cognizant of these reactions and control them as much as possible.


On a very related note, I believe every driver should know how their vehicle behaves under panic braking. I recommend to everyone they try a 20mph and then a 35mph stop in a deserted area. This gives people a better idea of what to expect should the situation ever come up yet does not enter into dangerous territory. First time I ever dipped into ABS I was quite surprised by exactly how it felt!