EXPERIMENTAL AND SURVEY BASED EVALUATION OF A LOW-COST ABS-SYSTEM (ABS-COMPACT)

"ABS-compact" has been developed providing full ABS-functionality combined with two typical characteristics: the operational duration of an ABS-braking is limited (in ABS-mode to standstill from 150 km/h on wet or dry roads, 135 km/h on snowed up roads and 65 km/h on icy roads) and during an ABS-braking the brake pedal is slowly moving downwards (receding brake pedal) by the driver but without the ABS-typical pulsation. Braking experiments on a test track were carried out with a sample of 64 "naive" drivers in a subcompact car. In addition to that a survey with 500 representative quoted subjects - again all subcompact car drivers - was carried out. Objectives of the study have been the determination of driver- and system behaviour with ABS-compact, the overall product acceptance of the system and the differences to the usual ABS-system. During the braking with usual ABS a higher level of brake pressure was observed. Although there was less brake pressure input with the ABS-compact system, exactly the same deceleration and stopping distance rates for both systems were detected on low friction. With both systems a similar learning process was observed. From the first to the fifth braking the pressure input was increasing continually. The acceptance of ABS-compact is on the whole determined by three factors: the price difference, the duration of ABS-function and the perception of the system especially of the pedal characteristic. The statements of the subjects concerning these factors let expect a high product acceptance. (A) For the covering abstract see IRRD 882109.