I think that people are loosing their once proud driver skills.
With little encouragement to improve either the mass dumbing down is rife.
Lucy have you got that survey / stats re ABS / non ABS to hand per chance - I would love a copy.
I am no fan of modern electronic 'basic car function' gadgets (as opposed to some others.
IMHO I sadly now have ABS and hate it and will test it many times ... it has a worse feel and soft approach. (This is the '89 car) ... I like simple good quality functioning cars that work well and as a skilled driver, I am always up for improvement, and prefer this approach than ever more reliance on someone else's ideas of 'brain control' environments.
I would be naive if I thought that they are not here to stay but let's have some without, or some that can be disabled for the 'real drivers' who wish to 'drive properly in charge' of their vehicle. I know people go on about how good they are and I would like to experience that but I worry about when and how it goes wrong - that is when it can kill you.
Curiously my car is starting to wear it's rack & pinion, but the ABS has not picked up on the 'float' that I can feel that the steering has. It is not I am assured, requiring a repair yet, but I will take it in very soon, as I like everything to be in the best possible condition on my car.
I am one of those that has used avoidance braking in action ... and I still blame that incident as my fault for not anticipating the event. My car was the only damage to a front wheel bearing as I drove it up the kerb.
(There was a discussion about avoidance braking and Cadence - so perhaps a clarification of both maybe a good idea too, if people wish to discuss that).
There are many arguments that have been barely brushed upon in here, (e.g. 'stopping not being a problem' but these conceptions can be lethal if given the 'wrong' circumstances eg part way across a railway crossing etc etc .... ) BUT I fully respect the more serious vain of detailed specifics coming through and so do not wish to distract the thread, by mere basic discussions.