On what road surfaces are vehicles prone to wheel lock-up?
1 Answers
Vehicles are prone to wheel lock-up when braking on road surfaces with low friction coefficients, such as icy or snowy roads. Due to the minimal friction generated on such surfaces, when the friction between the brake pads and brake discs exceeds that between the road and the wheels, the wheels may lock up and skid, significantly increasing the risk of rollover or tipping accidents. Wheel lock-up is defined as the tires ceasing to rotate while the vehicle continues to move, creating dynamic friction between the tires and the road surface. A similar phenomenon is wheel spin during acceleration (where the vehicle remains stationary while the tires rotate freely). In certain high-performance models, switching the driving mode to drift mode can deactivate the wheel lock-up system. The anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a crucial safety feature designed to prevent such accidents.