The road is fraught with many unforeseen situations that may require an instant response from the driver. And for the most part, in the event of an obstacle or other obstacle in the path of the car's movement, it will be necessary either to change the direction of the car's movement, or to brake quickly. Many people believe that the main factor that helps to avoid an accident is the driver's reaction, they say, if he presses the brake pedal in time, the car will have time to stop before the obstacle on the road. Nevertheless, as practice shows, simply pressing the brake pedal is not enough. It is important to know the braking technique that is applied depending on the distance to the obstacle, the road surface, and the season. Therefore, in this article we will talk about the existing methods of effective braking.
The techniques we are going to look at are suitable for all types of vehicles that, as equipped with electronic braking assistants, and do not. We will cover techniques such as intensive braking, combined braking and staggered braking. Next, let's talk a little about each separately.
Intense braking
This method of braking is best suited if the vehicle is moving at a speed of 100 km / h or more. Of course, it can only be used on straight sections of the road with a hard surface. The point is that you sharply press the brake pedal to the maximum and hold it until the car starts to slip, or, as the drivers say, "go skidding." Next, you release the brake pedal to regain traction, and then hit the brakes hard again. Of course, it takes a little practice to use this kind of braking. For this, on a straight section of the road, it is necessary to accelerate the car to a speed of 60 km / h. By sharply pressing the brake pedal, hold it as long as the car maintains a straight trajectory. You have to catch the moment so that the car does not go into a skid, but at the same time effectively brakes. After a couple of trial attempts, you can probably figure out when to release the brake pedal to restore stability to the car, and then press again to finally stop. Having mastered this method, you will be able to stop the vehicle as efficiently and quickly as possible if an obstacle occurs, for example, on the highway.
Combined braking
Actually, from the name of this method it is clear that when braking, not only the vehicle's braking system will be involved, but also the engine. Yes, the engine can also be effectively braked. This method of braking is one of the most effective. It can be used for non-straight road sections, for any road surface, including in the snow. The main advantage of this method is that the wheels of the car will not skid, the car will not be in a skid, which means it will retain its stability.
How is combined or engine braking performed? Suppose you are driving a car at 80 km / h with 4th gear engaged. You must press the brake pedal halfway, then switch to third gear. Without releasing the brakes, switch to second, first and continue braking in first gear until the car comes to a complete stop.
Using the combined method of braking, you can significantly reduce braking distances car.
Step braking method
This method is recommended for novice drivers. It allows you to experience the capabilities of the vehicle's braking system. In addition, the instructor recommends this method of braking on slippery road surfaces. Its meaning is to repeatedly press the brake pedal, giving a different effort.
So, in step braking, you must repeatedly press the brake pedal, approximately at the same interval. The first press should be the strongest, then weaker and weaker. In fact, in this way of braking, you will imitate work aBS systems, and with the right step braking, your car will not skid. At the same time, it is important to observe the smoothness of braking so that the car does not peck the road with the front end, but moves and brakes evenly, without sudden jerks and swaying. When you succeed in braking with the stepwise method of braking, while maintaining a smooth ride, then you can consider that you have fully mastered this method.
What is emergency braking?
Dedicated to Tinsmith's Day :)
Once in late autumn, when the thermometer jumped in the daytime plus, and at night in minus, Masha returned late in the evening from work. There was a stretch of road a few hundred meters from her house ...
Winter surprises or how does tinsmith's day come? (Real story)
Once in late autumn, when the thermometer jumped in the daytime plus, and at night in minus, Masha returned late in the evening from work. Several hundred meters before her house, there was a section of the road with a slight slope and a subsequent turn at 90 degrees.
According to the law of meanness, it was in this place that that evening the roadway was not sprinkled with a reagent, and the shiny wet asphalt under the wheels turned out to be frozen. In addition, the ice surface of the slope before the turn was polished by previously passed cars, which made it slip even more.
But Masha learned about this later, when she habitually began to slow down on this very hill by smoothly pressing the brake. The car slowed down a little, but in spite of the studded tires, it did not think to stop. Masha pressed down the middle pedal even more. Does not help. And here, as an evil, also a turn. And what an obsession! The car treacherously drove straight, despite the steering wheel twisted to the side ...
This was the first car in an extreme situation on ice, because in winter she has not yet gone.
My friend nevertheless drove to her house that evening, but with a tattered front bumper, a crumpled fender and a broken headlight. And the pillar standing alone at the end of the turn was carelessly marked with a silver abrasion.
"I knew how to brake correctly!" - she repeated over and over ...
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How to brake correctly in a critical situation?
Sometimes the situation on the road changes so suddenly that the driver has no choice but to “hit the brakes”. In this case, it happens that due to incorrect actions with the brake pedal, the car still reaches the obstacle. And everyone hears "BA-A-AMS" :(
Emergency braking is, as you probably guessed, nothing more than a sharp, emergency brakingused to decelerate the vehicle as much as possible.
reference
When you press the brake pedal, both the front and rear wheels car. If at the same time at least one wheel is blocked, then an increase in the braking distance and a skid of the car are almost inevitable. When the front wheels are locked, in addition to everything else, the car stops turning (does not respond to turning the steering wheel).
Braking on the verge of wheel blocking provides maximum deceleration efficiency, minimum braking distance and avoids the appearance of all the above-mentioned disadvantages, i.e. is ideal braking.
ABS(English Anti-lock breaking system - anti-lock braking system) - a complex electronic-mechanical system that prevents the wheels from locking (skidding) vehicle when braking. If on the dashboard of your car when you turn the ignition key, a yellow icon with the inscription ABS lights up, then you have this system installed. If it is working properly, this icon goes out after a few seconds. The presence of ABS can also be recognized by the very light and sensitive brake pedal.
Often by car without ABS the primary reflex of any unprepared person in a critical situation to press as much urine as possible on the brake pedal leads to horrific consequences.
It is with this innate reflex of the driver, which has claimed many human lives, that we will begin our acquaintance with the basic rules of braking.
Therefore, please take this article very seriously. And if necessary, (and most likely it is necessary), then check that you have exactly the correct skills to operate the brake pedal. for their development are given at the end of the article.
How to operate the brake pedal when emergency braking are quite different depending on the presence or absence of electronic assistant ABS... You can not load yourself with unnecessary information and then carefully read only the sections of this article that are suitable for you.
(highlighted in dark blue).How to urgently brake on a car with ABS? Pluses of ABS
The overwhelming majority of foreign cars sold are equipped with ABS. And if you have just such a car, then you are lucky :)
On a car with ABS during emergency (sharp) braking, the rule "break the pedal" applies. Brake pedal, of course :) If your car also has a clutch pedal, then break two at the same time * until they come to a complete stop (!).
To reduce the braking distance, the pressing force should be maximum from the very beginning of emergency braking. You will feel the ABS operation by jerking the brake pedal and chirping rather unpleasant sound, similar to a crunch. You should not be afraid - it is normal work of the above system, we continue that there is strength to press the pedal to a complete stop.
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* - For correct work aBS systems during emergency braking, it is recommended to press exactly the two listed pedals at the same time, excluding the engine from the braking process.
If you need to stop quickly, then even on an icy surface, the same rule applies: press the brake all the way and do not release (!) Until it stops completely. In this case, the vehicle electronics will calculate and apply the programmed braking mode for the driver.
It is in no case necessary to get rid of the natural reflex to press the brake all the way to the floor on a car with ABS!
Advantages of ABS during emergency braking:
- in most cases, the braking distance is reduced;
- with such braking, the car reacts to steering turns, maintaining controllability;
- when cornering with such braking, the car does not skid * or drift;
- the driver is not required to have any special braking skills (in the vast majority of cases).
_________
* - If the skid was not due to braking, then the ABS will be powerless. (For example, often the cause of a skid in a corner is an incorrectly selected speed and the subsequent excessive turn of the steering wheel, etc.). A corner is a very unsuitable place to brake, regardless of your vehicle's equipment.
Attention!
Familiar to many professional drivers the reflex of intermittent pressing on the brake in an emergency situation can easily increase the braking distance on a car with ABS!
In a second, ABS is capable of performing a series of 12 brake impulses, and even an extra-class race car driver is no more than 8. Therefore, usually, when braking in a straight line on flat, uniform surfaces (asphalt, wet asphalt, even ice, etc.) paths are not real. But on mixed surfaces, especially covered with snow, not everything is so simple.
How does ABS work? Basic working principle
For ABS to operate, two conditions are required: a depressed brake pedal and at least one momentary stopped wheel *.
If both conditions are met, then the electronics immediately intervenes in braking and, oddly enough, slightly releases the brake pads on the locked wheel.
The task of ABS is to provide braking on the verge of locking the wheels, thereby maintaining the vehicle's controllability.
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* - the complex algorithm of the anti-lock braking system electronics also probably provides for its operation without stopping the wheels, but on dry asphalt, as a result of its operation, you can almost always find the strokes of a short-term skidding (blocking) of the wheels.
Disadvantages (cons) ABS
It's great to have ABS on board, but just in case, know and remember about the disadvantages of such a system, because some of them are significant.
1. On uneven roads (potholes, cobblestones, rocky surfaces), the ABS performance is reduced. This leads to an increase (!) Of the braking distance.
This is due to the fact that on uneven areas the “bouncing” wheel is blocked much earlier than when braking on a flat road. It is at this moment, when the wheel is approaching and has minimal grip, ABS gives the command to release brake pads... But then, when the wheel lands, its grip on the road increases, and the braking force is no longer optimal - reduced by electronics.
On uneven road sections, there are few options to counter this drawback: we reduce the speed to a similar area or - after (on an even surface). A safe distance is a matter of course.
Can impulse braking be used if the ABS is not working properly?
But here the opinions of experts differ: some argue that intermittent pressing of the brake pedal on such cars will not bring a positive result, others admit it, but argue that the ABS of the old generation will react only to the complete release of the brake pedal. The gain in stopping distance in this case remains rather doubtful. How to check? Probably only practically on a specific car. I haven't tested it on mine yet :) So the question remains open.
2. Mixed coatings with different grip properties also reduce the performance of the ABS. Sometimes to a significant (!). A vivid example of a heterogeneous surface: asphalt - ice - asphalt - snow - puddle.
For more slippery surface the wheels are blocked earlier, which leads to excessive release of the brake pads and in the subsequent section. In other words, ABS in this case cannot react quickly and select the optimal braking force for a specific small section of the road. Undoubtedly, this leads to an increase in the stopping distance.
The control measures are the same - increased distance, and, ideally, a decrease in speed to a similar section.
3. When braking on loose, loose surfaces, ABS interferes and usually significantly increases the braking distance!
It can be a sandy or gravel road, or even a snow-covered road (!).
On such surfaces, when braking by skid, a tamped “roller” is raked in front of the wheel, for example, from the same snow, which will stop the wheel faster, the so-called plow effect occurs. Those. on loose surfaces it is more effective to brake with a skid.
4. ABS stops working before stopping. Watch out for slippery slopes!
The fourth disadvantage of ABS is that it is disabled at speeds below 5-7 km / h and for some driving conditions (for example, when you are rolling down a slippery slope) this fact must be taken into account.
That is, for example, in winter at an icy congress in underground parking you applied braking to the floor. The machine with pulsating ABS continues to slowly and surely slide down the hill and does not want to stop until the end. This can happen on slippery slopes *.
How to be? And here I don't even know what way out can be thought of. Handbrake? Maybe. Intermittent braking? Maybe ... On a car with automatic transmission in such situations, I think it is preferable to brake on "Neutral" ("N" mode). Thank God these conditions are not common.
5. One of the biggest disadvantages of ABS is, perhaps, the illusion of infallibility of this system that arises among car owners. Now, obviously, you realize that this is far from the case!
Usually on expensive cars anti-lock braking systems "Smarter", and there will be more electronic assistants. On budget cars, their effectiveness
in recent years, although it has increased significantly, but still on certain surfaces, especially snowy ones, their performance is not ideal.
The main plus of ABS is that during emergency braking, the car reacts to the steering wheel turns and in most situations of braking "to the floor" it still reduces the braking distance, thereby providing more chances to avoid an accident.
Winter surprises or how does tinsmith's day come? (Continued)
Let's return to the case with Masha described at the beginning. You probably guessed that our heroine had a car without an ABS. And, most interestingly, Masha theoretically knew perfectly well how to brake properly on slippery surfaces. She easily solved with almost no mistakes exam tickets and have already heard about intermittent braking.
But in the summer, while learning to drive, no one instilled this skill, vital for winter, and not only for winter, driving.
What can I say ... Even experienced drivers over the summer lose the habit of winter driving and often lose the necessary braking skills on slippery surfaces!
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How to urgently brake on a car without ABS? 
If your car does not have ABS, then you yourself will have to be a similar system and control the wheel locking moment during braking.
How to reduce the braking distance?
Each of us heard the squeal of the tires of the braking car. And of course, everyone saw black footprints on the asphalt left after such a stop.
Such braking with locked wheels is ineffective, and often even dangerous, especially if it is used on slippery surfaces or at high speeds.
Wheel lock brakingdangerous because:
- increases the stopping distance (sometimes significantly);
- almost always leads to a skid of the car (its rotation);
- when the front wheels are locked, the car does not respond to steering turns (not steerable);
- when cornering, such braking leads to the demolition of the car (the car is also not steerable).
Wheel blocking can occur not only on slippery surfaces. Even on dry asphalt at relatively low speeds hard pressing on the brake will lead to skid braking, with a full set of all negative consequences.
When braking in a similar way When friction with the road surface, the tire tire heats up to such an extent that it begins to melt and even burn. Of course, you will not see the flames - not those speeds - but the smoke is easy.
It is clear that rubber melting like cheese in an oven is not particularly effective. When braking with a skid on ice or packed snow at the point of their contact with the wheel, a layer of water necessarily arises, which almost always leads to an uncontrollable skid and requires a greater distance to stop than when braking ... on the verge of locking the wheels.
The most effective braking - braking on the verge of wheel locking!
What does braking on the verge of blocking mean?
This means that you press on the brake with such a force that still allows the wheels to spin, but on the verge of stopping them, i.e. if you press the pedal a little harder, the wheels will lock (stop).
When braking on the verge of blocking, the surface of the tire in contact with the road is different at each moment of time, which does not allow the temperature at the point of contact to rise to a critical level.
In practice, it is unrealistic to catch the "blocking edge" by pressing the brake with a certain constant effort.Why? Yes, because at the slightest decrease in speed, this "edge" comes with another effort. Therefore, experienced drivers, even ABS itself, apply
And to be able to brake in this way, i.e. effectively, it is imperative to learn how to feel the moment when the wheels lock, regardless of the road surface.
Signs of a wheel blocking during braking:
- there is a vibration of the wheels or deterioration of the vehicle deceleration *;
- there was a sound of tires scraping along the road surface or their squealing;
- there was a skid of the car, it stopped responding to the steering wheel turns (turning);
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* - Usually on a slippery surface at the moment of blocking, the deterioration of deceleration is especially clearly felt. The car first reacts to braking, and then at some point the brakes seem to disappear - the wheels break into sliding. This is the very moment of blocking!
How to brake properly on a car without ABS?
The main methods of braking in critical situations
Depending on the driving conditions and the need, drivers use different methods of braking, but, as a rule, they all boil down to different variations, or a combination of the following three main methods.
Sharp braking (it is also emergency)
Usually applied in emergency situationswhen you need to quickly stop the vehicle. This type of braking is suitable for even surfaces with more or less good grip: asphalt, wet asphalt, etc.
- We hit the brake hard. Than better grip with the road, the later the wheels will skid.
Effective deceleration with such braking occurs only until the wheel lock occurs.
If you feel the wheels are blocked (squealing of tires, the appearance of vibration, or a sudden decrease in deceleration), you should immediately reduce the pressure on the brake pedal * and start impulse braking - intermittent pressing on the pedal.
This will avoid prolonged skidding of the wheels and thereby eliminate it. negative consequences (skidding, uncontrollability, increased stopping distance).
__________
* - In a critical situation, releasing the brake pedal is not as easy as it seems, especially if there is very little space to stop. Even experienced drivers, frightened, sometimes press the brakes with all their might. Only practical training and, as they say, cold calculation will protect from such erroneous actions.
Pulse braking is performed in at least two ways.
Step braking
Be prepared to apply it at the initial moment of wheel skid on any surface, and especially on slippery surfaces: packed snow, ice, etc. This method of braking is very effective, but requires skill.
- Push the brake pedal with your foot. It is necessary to press the pedal before the occurrence of a skid, and immediately release it a little. As soon as you feel the blockage disappear, press again.
Press .. Slightly release ... Press ... Slightly release ...
- If necessary, use the steering wheel to correct the trajectory of the vehicle, while trying to avoid turning the steering wheel when the wheels are locked.
The very first press on the pedal should be as short as possible to avoid prolonged skidding. So to say to them you produce "coverage reconnaissance" and sufficient effort for yuz.
It turns out that we are, as it were, catching the "edge of wheel blocking", preventing prolonged slipping and at the same time constantly applying braking force to the pedal.
In this case, you yourself choose for yourself a comfortable frequency and duration of pressing, depending on external conditions, but usually, the more slippery the surface, the more often there should be shocks. (As the speed decreases, their frequency can be decreased, and the duration can be increased).
Intermittent braking
It is used on broken or uneven road surfaces (potholes, etc.), as well as in places where pavements alternate with different slipperiness. For example: asphalt - ice - asphalt - rolled snow, etc.
- Push the brake pedal with your foot, releasing it fully each time. In this case, press the pedal until the wheels skid.
Press .. Release completely ... Press ... Release completely ...
- At the moment of releasing the wheels, if necessary, by turning the steering wheel, we correct the trajectory of the vehicle (we steer).
It differs from the previous method in that here each pedal pressing ends with a complete cessation of braking.
It is advisable to release the pedal precisely on potholes in the road (when the front wheels come into contact with an obstacle) or on a more slippery surface, where it is not desirable to brake.
The moment of pressing the pedal in this case falls on the surfaces that are more preferable for braking (flat sections of the road or places with better grip). On them, if necessary, you can apply and
This method of deceleration is less effective than the previous one, but easier to execute. Therefore, use it either on the above-mentioned areas, or on any surface with sufficient margin in the distance.
What to do if the car skids?
If, during braking, the car skids, it is necessary to stop the braking that was started and immediately turn the steering wheel to correct the trajectory of movement, turning the wheels in the direction of the skid. Ideally, it is best not to brake at all when leveling the vehicle. Those. one thing: either we turn the steering wheel or we brake.
When to depress the clutch pedal?
On a car without ABS, you can forget about the clutch pedal during emergency braking! Yes, the car will stall at such a stop. But the effectiveness of deceleration will be greater, because In addition to pedal braking, engine braking is added. Ideally squeeze the clutch immediately before stopping, and when You need to be able, not just know! Knowledge in the head, but skills in the body
Do not think that after learning about various methods of braking, you automatically learned how to properly brake on real car... Skill (automatism) is developed only in the process of numerous trainings (repetition of the same actions).
Therefore, to get real positive results, you need to find time, choose safe place and develop the right skills. And from time to time to replenish (remember) them, especially before winter season... An icy area would be ideal for this exercise. it is on it that you can very well feel the moment of locking the wheels and develop the correct skills for stopping the car. But if there is none, then even dry asphalt is suitable for a start.
All these exercises are best done at a relatively low speed. The main thing here is to develop the so-called muscle memory.
Exercises on a car with ABS
After accelerating and sharply pressing on the brake, try to feel the moment when ABS is activated, practice the principle of “break the pedal”. Those. press the brake pedal as hard as you can until it stops.
If you initially did not have the habit of intermittently pressing the brake pedal, then you may not be zealous with training - in an extreme situation, with fear, you will press the brakes as it should.
If you have a habit of intermittently pressing the brake pedal, for example, you have moved with more simple car, then you really have to try. You will need to unlearn the initial skill and learn to press the brakes with constant effort without releasing the pedals.
Exercises on a car without ABS
Having accelerated and sharply pressing on the brake, try to get rid of the reflex to press the pedal with all the strength, and at the first signs of wheel blocking, work out intermittent shock presses on the pedal. It is possible to consolidate such a skill with any more or less sharp braking, even on an unreal road.
Practice different techniques on site and compare the difference in deceleration with different techniques.
If there is ice under the wheels, then at low speed try to work out braking while turning the steering wheel (avoiding an obstacle). Compare the difference in handling when braking with a skid.
Whether your car is equipped with electronic assistants or not, in any case, you should not forget that the length of the braking distance, first of all, depends on the speed of movement and the state of the road surface. Moreover, a wet coating increases the braking distance by about 1.5 times, rolled snow or ice by 3 - 5 times (!).
In any case, a safe distance, speed and timely hazard forecast should be paramount!
Reconnaissance in force. Some tricks of experienced drivers.
From time to time, usually in winter, it becomes necessary to make sure on the go how well the wheels grip the road.
The most loyal and reliable way - when driving in a straight line at a relatively low speed, press the brake pedal and feel the moment when the wheels begin to lock (activation of ABS). I think it is unnecessary to remind you of the need to look in the rear-view mirror before that and make sure that such braking is safe.
Usually, at the first frost, this is the most quick way determine if the road is wet under the wheels or a thin layer of water has turned into ice. And this is possible already at a temperature + 3 ° C overboard. The first to begin to freeze are bridges and overpasses, they are above the ground and are better blown, so they cool faster.
With such simple trainings (it is desirable to start on the site), you can develop a sense of wheel grip on various surfaces and, along the way, train your eye in determining the necessary distances for stopping at different speeds. So to speak, gain experience. But don't forget about safety measures.
Try not to brake sharply on the lines road markingssince you can slip and beware of freshly paved asphalt. A thin bituminous film on its surface will "lubricate" any braking.
Suddenly activated ABS, or worse, the squeal of the wheels when braking, is a signal that you have made a mistake in assessing wheel grip. Have experienced driver there are practically no such surprises, as well as sudden braking.
I wish you fewer unexpected situations on the road!
Most drivers apply the brakes before performing a certain maneuver (turning, stopping, etc.) or in a specific traffic situation (traffic lights, traffic jams, pedestrians, uneven road surfaces, etc.)
In the first case, everything is simple - before performing the maneuver, we show the turn and start braking. More ambiguous situation with reading traffic situations. Although modern cars equipped, which reduces the operating time of the brake system, much also depends on the reaction speed of the driver himself. A common reason for difficult road situations and accidents is the long thoughts of drivers who delayed braking or were not prepared to perform it.
Now let's figure out how to properly brake on a car. The most important thing for a novice driver to learn is that pressing the brake pedal should be done without. The clutch pedal should only be depressed at low speed. This technique provides the following benefits:
- As the motor is activated, the braking performance is increased.
- The load on braking system (pads, wheels, tires).
- Overheating of the brake system is excluded.
- Blocking of wheels is excluded, the likelihood of a car skid is reduced.
Moreover, the brakes in summer and winter should be the same. You need to understand that braking without using the clutch is safer at any time of the year and under any conditions. Especially if you master impulse braking and use it constantly. There are the following variations of this method:
- Intermittent impulse braking - somewhat different in duration, strength and number of times the brake pedal is pressed.
- Impulse braking with increased effort - the first presses are short and weak, subsequent presses are longer and stronger. This technique used in case of poor grip.
- Step-by-step impulse braking with a decrease in effort - the first presses are as long and strong as possible, subsequent presses are shorter and weaker in order to brake. This technique is used when grip is strong.
Always assess the situation behind you before braking. In heavy traffic, it is useful to first lightly touch the brake pedal several times to flash the brake lights. If your car is not equipped with ABS, try to prevent the wheels from locking by releasing the pressure on the brake pedal. In case of emergency braking, the vehicle can change its direction of movement, so you need to be ready to make corrections with the steering wheel.
If you want to brake on poor road surfaces, first overcome the bumps and depress the pedal on a flat area to avoid damaging the suspension. Do not forget to dry the brakes after overcoming deep puddles. To do this, just press the brake pedal lightly several times.
