Originally Posted by
B6 Dude
I would've sort of agreed with the unpredictability of ABS etc since my real driving days did not include them, I did have my ABS disabled temporarily for some time on my (prev) B5 and whereas I liked it at first (especially during my first autocross), I think I was much better off getting used to it being enabled. One panic stop in heavy rain late at night around some 18-wheelers made me realize this.
Perhaps go autocross your car a bit to learn to predict it and get comfortable with it. You should even prefer it once you get really used to it.
Your one panic stop where ABS came in handy does not mean that ABS is the most suitable solution for all drivers in all circumstances. For every story about how ABS or an airbag or some safety device "saved someone", there is another that says the complete opposite. Sure, in some situations, it'll bail your ass out, in others it can cause more harm than good. There is no end-all be-all safety device that can protect a vehicles occupants from danger. Some devices work for some drivers in some conditions.
The best thing you can do to avoid an accident, barring the obvious "avoid driving" option, is to be an alert and aware driver who understands how his or her vehicle will react under any condition he/she is likely to encounter. That will save more asses than any little box with silicon inside it ever could.
On that note, knowing how your vehicle is -supposed- to react, and then having the car go off and do something else (as my first encounter with ESP went), is dangerous no matter how you look at it. How many accidents have you seen chalked up to "driver lost control"? If you're expecting the car to do one thing, and it does another, you are not in control, you aren't even in a position to regain previously lost control, you're playing the odds that a room full of engineers 'got it right' for your particular event.
Do I think everyone should run around disabling safety devices? Hell no, there's people out there that can't even check their own oil, much less have taken the time to learn how to drive properly. I do however acknowledge that the layer of abstraction between car and driver provided by such things as ESP/ABS/etc... is not the best solution for everyone, and should be handled on a personal preference basis.
And as mentioned before, I'm not entirely opposed to keeping ABS enabled for myself, as it does offer more consistent stopping results in slippery conditions. I am however opposed to being stuck in the middle of an intersection with my brakes locked up and no way to unlock them until the car decides it's ready to do so. Very opposed to that in fact.
I'm not trying to bust your balls man, but I'm a firm believer that technology should enhance an experience, not replace it. If I want to drive a fully computer controlled car, I'll go buy a playstation. Again, this is personal preference for my own situation, not a suggestion as to what is the best route for the masses. I couldn't even pretend to know enough to tell everyone what is best for them. If someone is unsure if they should or should not disable a safety device, the answer is a resounding NO, but if someone knows exactly how they want their vehicle to respond, and it doesn't already do so, I see no problem with altering it to suit that persons desires. This is, after all, a car enthusiasts forum, not knitting with Betty.
(Sorry for the long post, but saving people from themselves is a big money business, and I'm on the fence as to how much saving people actually need, and how much of it is done for the $$$.)
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) even in a panic stop will not apply the full force that the brake system is capable of handling. The "panic assist" can be the difference of stopping short or rear ending the guy in front of you.
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