Anti-lock brakes are part of almost every newer car. They give the driver the ability to stop as quickly as possible without risking a spinout. The system includes sensors at the wheels, a pump and valving to control the wheel brakes individually, and a control unit to check the speed of each wheel and release the brakes on any wheel that threatens to come to a stop (lock up).

If the computer senses that something's wrong with the system, it shuts the ABS system down and turns on a light. The power of the system explains both what it can do right and why it needs to be shut down if it's malfunctioning. While you can almost always keep driving your car in the short run, the ABS light being on tells you that the ABS system is disabled. Sometimes the ABS light will go out after stopping the car and restarting it, but chances are good that it will come on again.

The marvels of modern technology have allowed engineers to use the ABS components more every year—for example, to avoid spinning out on turns even when you’re not braking. In the meantime, older cars with the basic ABS system are already an improvement over cars with no ABS. Your car will stop straight even if you need to slam on the brakes.