DENVER (KDVR) — The old phrase of “pumping your brakes” when it’s icy out isn’t very helpful for most cars these days. Most people don’t need to — and shouldn’t — pump their brakes when their car is skidding out.
Pumping the brakes is when the driver steps on the brake pedal multiple times in a row to stop the wheels from locking up. It’s the old-fashioned way to prevent skidding on ice.
For most drivers, pumping your brakes is no longer necessary.
This is because a lot of cars have an anti-lock braking system, which pumps your brakes for you.
According to Skyler McKinley from AAA, if you own a car that’s less than 10 years old, you have anti-lock brakes.
In 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration mandated anti-lock brakes.
However, if your car is older than 10 years, you most likely still have them. Anti-lock braking systems have become a standard since the ’90s, McKinley said.
How to tell if your car has anti-lock brakes
McKinley recommends checking the owner’s manual, which will say whether or not the vehicle has ABS. You can also tell if you have ABS when you’re on icy roads and in a skid.
“It’s going to be a little bit jarring the second you start braking,” McKinley said. “You’re going to feel that pushback from the ABS on your foot. You want to maintain steady pressure on that and let the ABS kick in and do the braking automatically.”
If you have ABS, you shouldn’t pump your brakes.
Steady pressure on your brakes activates the braking system. If you take your foot off the pedal, like if you try to pump your brakes, the system won’t kick.
“You’re basically not engaging the braking system at all if you’re taking your foot off that pedal,” McKinley said.
If you’re on an icy road and your car has ABS, keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal. Whether you’re in a skid or you’re just stopping at a light, if your car hits a patch of ice, the vehicle will pump the brakes to stop.
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