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A BRAKING system that鈥檚 at the heart of Europe鈥檚 road safety strategy does
not cut the number of road accidents, according to research that will shock many
drivers.

Instead of making road trips safer, the anti-lock braking system (ABS) is
encouraging drivers to cut down on safety margins and push their cars鈥� stopping
ability to the limit.

Most new cars are fitted with ABS. It prevents cars from skidding during
braking on slippery roads, stopping them in a shorter distance. It does this by
pumping the brakes on and off very quickly, allowing drivers to continue
steering effectively while braking. The British government has singled out ABS
as a way in which technology can help it achieve its targets for cutting road
accidents. ABS will be fitted to all new cars sold in Europe next year and there
are moves to make the system compulsory on other vehicles.

Researchers at Britain鈥檚 Transport Research Laboratory asked nearly 21,000
drivers of modern cars if their vehicles had ABS and how many accidents they鈥檇
had. They were also asked about other factors that might influence the risk of
accidents, such as age, driving experience and number of journeys made. Nearly
half the cars had ABS and the survey turned up a total of 1684 accidents. But
there was no significant difference in the accident rates of drivers with ABS
and those driving without it.

Jeremy Broughton, who carried out the research at TRL鈥檚 lab in Crowthorne,
Berkshire, says that men under the age of 55 tended to have slightly fewer
accidents when their cars had ABS, but women and older men driving with ABS had
slightly more accidents. The detailed questions in the survey also suggested
that people who were knowledgeable about ABS had fewer accidents. Broughton
argues that better training will help drivers get more out of using ABS
technology. 鈥淚t needn鈥檛 be elaborate. Just 10 minutes on a quiet road will help
to familiarise drivers with ABS.鈥�

John Adams, an expert in risk analysis at University College London, points
to an earlier, smaller study of taxi drivers in Munich that also found ABS
didn鈥檛 cut the number of accidents. 鈥淭he car is more controllable with ABS,鈥�
says Adams. The Munich study found that the taxi drivers exploited the extra
safety margin, driving faster and braking harder. 鈥淵ou soon get a feel for the
stopping distance with ABS.鈥�

Eddie Curry, a braking expert at MIRA, a company near Nuneaton that carries
out research for the motor industry, says that some drivers tend to rely on ABS
stopping distances all the time鈥攏ot just in an emergency. He agrees that
educating drivers about ABS may be necessary.

Cars fitted with a new technology called 鈥渂rake assist鈥� may be more effective
at stopping accidents, he says. Tests have shown that most drivers brake quickly
in an emergency, but delay full braking鈥攁lmost as though they don鈥檛
believe what is happening鈥攂efore braking hard again. The brake-assist
system senses the initial stamp on the brake pedal and applies full braking
until the driver releases the brake. 鈥淏rake assist might have a more tangible
affect on stopping distance,鈥� says Curry.