Anti-Lock Brakes - A Valuable Feature for Your Personal Safety and Car Insurance Savings

Many insurance companies offer an anti-lock brake discount. The reason is simple: Studies have shown that automobiles with anti-lock brake systems are less likely to be involved in accidents, and thus their drivers are less likely to file insurance claims. Insurance companies assess your car insurance rates based on "risk" - the likelihood that you will file a claim - so anti-lock brakes are not only a valuable safety feature, they can actually save you money as well.

What Anti-Lock Brakes Do

Anti-lock breaking systems (often abbreviated, ABS) prevent wheels from locking up while braking. This allows the driver of the car to remain in control, and in most situations, it also reduces the distance needed to come to a complete stop. On dry pavement, tests have shown that anti-lock braking systems shorten the breaking distance of a car going 50 mph from 135 feet (standard breaking system) to just 105 feet - that 30 feet can mean the difference between life and death.

However, anti-lock breaking systems are not best for all road conditions. In snow and on ice, they fare worse than standard brakes. Loose gravel roads are also not good for anti-lock brakes.

The other downside of anti-lock braking systems is that they sometimes promote greater risk-taking on the part of drivers with ABS. In two European case studies of taxi drivers, this was found to be the case. Since the drivers took greater risks with their driving practices, the benefits of ABS were nullified. Obviously, the lesson to learn from this study is to not let ABS be an excuse for reckless driving. If you take greater risks just because you have anti-lock brakes, you are putting not only yourself, but the public at large at risk.

How to Make Sure You're Getting Your ABS Discount

While anti-lock braking systems may not perform ideally in all driving conditions, experts are nearly unanimous in their endorsement of them. If your car does have ABS, you should make sure you're getting an anti-lock brake discount from your car insurance company.

Here is how to do it: First, find your declarations page, which is the document that explains your car insurance coverages - you probably have it stuffed in the back of your file cabinet. Review your coverages and make sure that an ABS discount is listed. If not, call your car insurance agent and tell him or her that you qualify for an ABS discount if they offer one. If your insurance company does not offer one, it is time to shop around for a new agency. In fact, you might want to do this anyway. Now that you have your dec page in front of you and you're familiar with your policy, the hard part is over. Simply use carinsurancerates.com to comparison shop for the best deals, and continue to do this at least twice a year. You will probably be surprised by the amount of money you can save!