 The most efficient technique for braking under these conditions is to use threshold or squeeze braking together with de-clutching (manual shift) or shifting to neutral (automatic transmission).
Braking if you don't have antilock brakes:
If you don't have antilock brakes, the best way to threshold or squeeze brake (to make a controlled stop) is the heel-and-toe method. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use your toes to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal just short of lockup the point at which the wheels stop turning. But remember you must keep your heel on the floor. The instant you lift your foot from the floor and place the ball of the foot on the brake pedal, the wheels will lock because you will be controlling the brake with your large thigh muscles, which are incapable of finer control. Under the stress of trying to stop quickly, drivers almost inevitably overreact and lock the wheels. If this happens, use toe-and-heel action to release brake pressure one or two degrees, then immediately reapply it with slightly less pressure.
Braking with antilock brakes:
If you have an antilock brake system (ABS), use the heeland-toe method, but do not remove your foot from the brake. When you put on the brakes hard enough to make the wheels lock momentarily, you will typically feel the brake pedal pulse back against your foot.
DO NOT PUMP THE PEDAL OR REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. The system is working as it was designed to work.
How ABS works:
In a vehicle that has antilock brakes, a sensor located at each wheel detects when the wheel stops turning and starts to skid. As soon as the skid is detected, the antilock system relieves the pressure just enough to allow the wheel to turn again. This allows you to steer while you continue to bring the vehicle to a stop. Pumping the pedal works against the system by providing false information.
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Stopping on slippery surfaces requires longer seeing, following and stopping distances. Drivers proficient at driving and braking on slippery surfaces have acquired these techniques by practicing in secluded areas beforehand. These drivers are also knowledgeable of the additional dangers associated with and created by temperature changes at 32°F—stopping distances on ice are twice as great as at 0°F—and certain roadway areas such as shaded spots, bridges, overpasses and intersections. These are areas where ice is likely to form first or be the slipperiest, because the shiny ice surface has either been polished by previous vehicle traffic, or a thin layer of water covers the melting ice below. To compensate for the longer stopping distances required when driving on slippery surfaces, focus your attention as far ahead as possible (at least 20 to 30 seconds) and allow for the greatest margin of safety to the front. When road conditions change, so do the braking requirements.
