Pump the brakes! Please do not!

If you learned how to drive prior to 2000, you were probably taught to pump the brakes if you’re driving in the snow or ice and a wheel all locks up. We were told that pumping the brakes allowed for the wheels to regain traction.

This may have had some validity in the past, but modern vehicles have ABS or antilock breaking systems which require a different breaking technique

The breaking technique for ABS is very simple, just stomp the brakes very hard and keep pushing the brake pedal to the floor until you stopped

If you pump the brakes on a modern ABS equipped vehicle, you are likely to extend your breaking distance increasing your odds of a crash