Stopping safely is one of the most important functions a motor vehicle can perform. Failure of the brake syatem will almost invariably result in property damage, personal injury or even death. Consequently, a great deal of consideration has been given to improving the brake system in trucks and passenger cars over the last nine decades. One of the latest improvements is an antilock brake system which prevents a vehicle’s brake from locking up and skidding during hard stops on wet roads.
The problem of skidding reveals the one overwhelming weakness of all motor vehicle braking systems. They depend strongly on the coefficient of static friction between the tire and the road. If the tyre momentarily loses its adhesion to the road while the brakes are applied, the friction of the brakes against the drums or rotors locks the wheel solidly and the tire begins skidding across the road. Antilock Braking Systems (ABS) is a form of electronic braking which was invented to help a driver control a vehicle under heavy braking by preventing the wheels from locking up.