Some myths about technology

I was just reading in a leading car magazine about one of the editors remarking how ABS on his car was a big boon on a drive, especially when he had unmarked speed-breakers coming his way at 100 kmph.

And that just goes to point at the myths that are prevalent about new technologies as they slowly establish a foothold in the country. ABS will not miraculously stop your car quicker or in a shorter distance so as to prevent your car from going over the speed-breaker at high speed. There is no guarantee that an ABS-equipped car will stop in a shorter distance than a car not equipped with ABS. What ABS will definitely do is to prevent the wheels from locking up i.e., in simple language, prevent the wheels from coming to a stop before the car has actually come to a stop.

So, what does ABS actually help you with? It gives you steering control under hard braking; something you lose when the wheels lock up.

Imagine a situation where a man starts crossing the road in front of you as you are approaching him at 100 kmph. You hit the brakes and the wheels lock up. The car goes into a slide and the man who would have probably made it across the road, changes his mind that very instant and turns back. The car hits him bang-on as you watch helplessly. If you were in a car with ABS, you would have had steering control all the time and thereby avoided the man.

So, if you have a car with ABS, remember that you can brake with all your might and steer the car at the same time—something that would not have been possible in a car without ABS. Air bags also make you safe but can also be lethal. They do not make you safer if you aren’t belted in. In fact, in many technologically advanced cars, air bags are deactivated if you aren’t belted in. So, if there is no seat belt holding you back from the place where the explosion is taking place, you can end up taking much of the impact on your body.

That is also the reason why more and more cars are coming with seat belts fitted with pretensioners which in fact tighten the seat belt to hold you back in case the air bags are going to deploy.

But in any case air bags do not eliminate injuries or fatalities but just reduce the risk and that too in case you are following all the instructions. There are a number of myths associated with new technologies and that is why it is imperative that you do read about the car’s features and know exactly how to make the best use of them. Ignorance could lead to serious consequences and all the money you invested in these technologies would come to nought.

Yogendra Pratap is Editor, Auto Bild India