Do Anti-Lock Brakes Suck?

[DesertDawg]

Ask the 2014 Formula One drivers what they think of 'brake by wire'.

Personally I'm not the right person to comment. I've only had one vehicle with anti-skid brakes and that is a 98 SVT Contour. Once in the entire time I've owned the vehicle did I out of curiosity try the system out. On good clean dry (its always dry in the desert) pavement I tried to lock the brakes in straight line braking. OK so they wouldn't lock a wheel.
I contend that anyone that is accustomed to performance driving knows that along with manual transmissions, having the ability to lock the wheels with the brakes is another means to control a vehicle, not a detriment.

When I learned to fly airplanes, it was made clear to me that remaining inside the performance envelope was something to be aware of.

The performance envelope of the aircraft and OR the pilot.

Most regular folk are not capable of operating their vehicles at or near the 'ragged edge' of the performance envelope and as we enthusiasts know, you can't legally do it on public roads anyway.

What I'm curious about is the new electronic stability controls that are being incorporated in new cars. I bet they are configured to keep soccer mom's out of trouble.

What I'd like to know about is the new