> Mark,
- -snip- -
> You are expressing a lot
> of opinion and judging my competence as a driver on a lot of partial
> information and assumptions.
I am sorry for misinterpreting your statement I though you meant you
knew there was black ice before you hit the brakes.
> If you were as experienced with black ice
> in rain as you profess to be,
I am way more experienced with black ice than I had ever cared to be.
To this point I have luckily avoided all but high adrenalin levels.
- -snip- -
> Your statement that "when you are on ice or black ice all the brakes in
> the world aren't going to stop you" is clearly not true and denies the
> laws of physics, as well.
Uh, I believe it is supported by the laws of physics. Any Physicists
care to jump in?
> My common sense assumption is that a
> skidding tire might break through a very thin layer of ice due to
> simple scraping action or due to the heat of whatever friction might be
> generated by the skidding tire.
The heat may melt an ever so small amount of ice. The resulting water
will act as an excellent lubricant reducing what little friction there
was to almost nil.
> In short, I'd still like to be able to stop the rotation of my wheels
> by intelligently applying pressure to the brake pedal, and I'm not
> altogether pleased that the car has an automatic subsystem which allows
> it to override my control inputs.
It can be defeted.
Just before I recieved this reply I happend to be reading an editorial
by Al Demmler in the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) publication
Automotive Engineering. The editorial deals with this subject. At the
end he mentions that "the ABS Education Alliance offers information,
tips, and a free booklet on the proper use of anti-lock brakes by
calling 1-800-ABS-8958, toll free". Since I have a ABS in a car I
called and ordered the booklet as I typed this.
- -Mark "I didn't mean to flame anyone" Jurras
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