Geo 1995 Prizm Owner's Manual page 134

Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front
of
you,
you
won't have time
to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or
stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the system
working, or you may notice some noise, but this is
normal. When your anti-lock system is adjusting brake
pressure to help avoid a braking skid, the ABS ACTIVE
light will come on. See "Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light" in the Index.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you don't have anti-lock, your
first reaction
--
to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it
down
--
may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can
stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can't respond
to
your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling.
That could be off the road, into the very thing you were
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you don't have anti-lock, use a "squeeze" braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking while
maintaining steering control.
You
do this by pushing on
the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency you will probably want to "squeeze"
the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear
or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal. This
will help you retain steering control. (If you do have
anti-lock, it's different: see "Anti-Lock Brakes" in the
Index.)
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
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