I followed a double-decker bus down a local lane this morning, he clipped a tree that had obviously dropped part way in the storms, and a twenty-five foot limb dropped horizontally right in front of me - pure reaction and ABS brakes just brought me up short under the branches.White van man behind did spectacularly well to avoid shunting me and the bus driver sharted himself because it looked like the tree had gone over my bonnet. Luckily nobody was at the front on the top deck of the bus as it was smashed in. Three of us could only just move the tree part way and it had to be chain sawed by a Highways crew.
This got me thinking about ABS, and other driver aids. I’ve got various advanced and tactical driving qualifications but KNOW that with all the cadence and control in the world I could not have brought the car up as short and square on that mixed, damp surface. I had enough to do reacting to the wooden guillotine, looking for an escape (which there wasn’t) and getting right to help white van man avoid chuffing me.
On getting home I checked out the history of ABS, it seems that I have a Frenchman called Gabriel Voisin to thank. Born in 1880 he was brought up under the tutelage of a military engineer and spent his time tinkering and inventing. He studied industrial design and developed the first viable powered aircraft capable of sustained flight in 1908. He also produced his ‘Avions Voisin’ luxury cars in the 1920s and In this period developed a form of ABS for aircraft. A brilliant engineer and top ‘bloke’ in my books.
Whilst I’m a great fan of The Stigg, Needell, other talented TV drivers (and Clarkson), I do worry when I hear macho road racers and track day heroes moaning about driver aids. Unless you can guarantee that you can beat a micro-second-precise computerised system, in all circumstances and all conditions just leave well alone. F1 drivers can’t keep their chariots straight without them and I know I would be in a sorry state this morning without the assistance of Monsieur Voisin's idea.
This got me thinking about ABS, and other driver aids. I’ve got various advanced and tactical driving qualifications but KNOW that with all the cadence and control in the world I could not have brought the car up as short and square on that mixed, damp surface. I had enough to do reacting to the wooden guillotine, looking for an escape (which there wasn’t) and getting right to help white van man avoid chuffing me.
On getting home I checked out the history of ABS, it seems that I have a Frenchman called Gabriel Voisin to thank. Born in 1880 he was brought up under the tutelage of a military engineer and spent his time tinkering and inventing. He studied industrial design and developed the first viable powered aircraft capable of sustained flight in 1908. He also produced his ‘Avions Voisin’ luxury cars in the 1920s and In this period developed a form of ABS for aircraft. A brilliant engineer and top ‘bloke’ in my books.
Whilst I’m a great fan of The Stigg, Needell, other talented TV drivers (and Clarkson), I do worry when I hear macho road racers and track day heroes moaning about driver aids. Unless you can guarantee that you can beat a micro-second-precise computerised system, in all circumstances and all conditions just leave well alone. F1 drivers can’t keep their chariots straight without them and I know I would be in a sorry state this morning without the assistance of Monsieur Voisin's idea.
