Accident experience of passenger vehicles with four-wheel antilock braking systems ABS.

This study focuses on the effect of antilock braking systems (ABS) on accident and injury risk. Police-reported data from Florida, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, and the Fatal Accident Reporting System were examined. Accident rates were normalized using vehicle registration data. Examination of over 60,000 accidents showed the following in vehicles with ABS: (1) 9-11% reductions in overall accident rates; (2) 16-17% reductions in accidents on wet roads; (3) 6-9% reductions in accidents on dry roads; and (4) 7-16% reductions in injury rates under all road conditions. There was no measurable difference in fatal accident rates between ABS and non-ABS vehicles. ABS seemed especially effective at reducing multivehicle crashes. (A)