Anti-lock brakes modulate braking pressure, basically pumping the brakes very rapidly, if the car's wheels start to lock up. The main advantage of ABS is that it allows a driver to maintain steering control even when braking hard on a slippery road.

ABS means that older drivers have to un-learn much of what they were taught about how to stop a car. In fact, in an ABS-equipped car, the best thing to do is exactly what we were all taught never to do: Regardless of road conditions, mash the brake pedal all the way to the floor and hold it there. The ABS system will keep the wheels from locking up while slowing the car as quickly as possible. When you do that on a slippery road in an ABS-equippled car, you'll feel a grinding sensation under your foot. That's the ABS system rapidly pumping the brake pressure.

Some more expensive cars, like the Mercedes-Benz S-class shown here, have systems that will detect when the driver is driver is responding to an emergency but is being too cautious with the brake pedal. The car takes over and pushes the brakes with full force.

The other thing you need to remember is that, with ABS, if you turn the steering while braking hard, the car will probably go exactly where you steer it. It's not going to just spin sideways, as cars used to do in those situations. That's something that takes getting used to and, experts surmise, it's one reason that ABS-equipped cars have more single-vehicle crashes. Drivers instinctively turn the wheel to avoid hitting another car and are then surprised when their car actually makes the turn and they find themselves headed toward a light post, instead.