Chain reaction car crash *Video* - Page 2

MarkHastings · 01-17-2005, 09:18 AM

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in 1988 when the town froze over and we had a whooping .10" of snow. Cars were piled all over the place.

But did anyone jump out of their car?

They're in a car, not a crashing plane or sinking boat...you don't bail when there's a slight problem.

"What is this white stuff on the road? I'm applying the brakes, but I'm not stopping? It's the DEVIL I say! Get out of the possessed car now!!!"

Randy Tennison · 01-17-2005, 11:11 AM

Once you lock up the wheels, you can't steer. Plain and simple. If you have front wheel drive, try accelrating and turing the wheel. You might grab some traction.

But then again, it may have done no good at all. But slamming on the brakes and turing the steering wheel will get you nowhere . . . except whatever direction you are already skidding.

Philip_G · 01-17-2005, 12:17 PM

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Philip, If all four wheels lock up simultaneously, as can happen on ice, then the ABS can be fooled into "thinking" that the vehicle has stopped and allow the wheels to lock, just as they would if you were at a full stop on dry pavement.

not once in all my years of living in MT, ND, and CO has this happened. In fact, I've hit the brakes hard on solid ice, it still does not happen.

Steve Schaffer · 01-17-2005, 04:24 PM

The idea that all 4 wheels stopping simultaneously can fool the ABS sorta makes sense. Perhaps this varies by mfg? As I said before here in Fresburg ABS scares more people than it helps. Most who experience the vibration and noise when it engages reflexively let off the brake pedal which is, I'd assume, exactly the opposite of what should be done.

I don't venture into the nearby mountains during snow season and so have never had abs on any of my cars except when it was standard equipment (98 Camry LE). On the Camry which I drove for 3 years it engaged twice, both times as the front wheels started to lockup on slick crosswalk paint on rainy days, which actually increased stopping distance.

I fully understand that in most other parts of the country ABS may be nearly indispensable, but given my particular circumstances would not pay extra for it.

Steve Kuester · 01-18-2005, 09:40 AM

I've owned a Honda CR-V with ABS for 6 years. On a couple occasions I've had the brakes lock up without the ABS vibration. This only happened on completely smooth ice, not "normal" ice. And I wasn't going very fast at all - I only go fast on "normal" ice.

And yeah, I saw this video the other day - Why in the world would you get out of your car???

Joe Szott · 01-18-2005, 11:30 AM

AH, good old Denver winter weather.

John Alvarez · 01-18-2005, 11:39 AM

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Why in the world would you get out of your car???

Just in case it decides not to stop after hitting the first car so you can watch it go ALL the way down the by itself....

Scott McGillivray · 01-18-2005, 12:06 PM

Well that was a really odd video. I mean, yes, accidents happen and a pure-ice street on a hill is going to be a tough drive (and a sudden stop). But, as many other have said, why are those peoples' brains shutting off? I mean...wow...jumping out of moving car when it is only going to be a minor bump? WTF? Pull that womans license and get her checked out at a medical facility!

Oh, BTW, anyone else get a kind of evil giggle seeing the fancy Jaguar getting banged up?

BrettB · 01-18-2005, 12:32 PM

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Oh, BTW, anyone else get a kind of evil giggle seeing the fancy Jaguar getting banged up?

That was only mildly amusing. For real laughs you would need a dog to be run over or to bounce a homeless person off the hood. Comedy's a bitch.

Kyle Richardson · 01-18-2005, 12:32 PM

I would have released the brakes completely and steered into the curb and hoped I had enough speed to hop the curb and go up on the grass. It would have had enough friction to stop the car at that speed.

Oh yeah, and getting out of the car - brilliant.

Philip_G · 01-18-2005, 01:26 PM

This explains pretty plainly why I don't think the ABS system cares if you're on ice, nor if all 4 wheels lock simultaneously.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/anti-lock-brake2.htm

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The controller monitors the speed sensors at all times. It is looking for decelerations in the wheel that are out of the ordinary. Right before a wheel locks up, it will experience a rapid deceleration. If left unchecked, the wheel would stop much more quickly than any car could. It might take a car five seconds to stop from 60 mph (96.6 kph) under ideal conditions, but a wheel that locks up could stop spinning in less than a second.

The ABS controller knows that such a rapid deceleration is impossible, so it reduces the pressure to that brake until it sees an acceleration, then it increases the pressure until it sees the deceleration again. It can do this very quickly, before the tire can actually significantly change speed. The result is that the tire slows down at the same rate as the car, with the brakes keeping the tires very near the point at which they will start to lock up. This gives the system maximum braking power.