Asbestos was once used in brake shoes and gaskets for its heat resistance. Asbestos fiber or powder inhalation is now known to cause some very serious respiratory diseases. As a result the use of asbestos has been banned in many countries.
ESC monitors vehicle performance and senses when a driver is losing control, at which point it reduces the engine speed and selectively applies the brakes to individual wheels until control is regained.
Rolling friction occurs between a rolling object and the surface it is rolling on. Rolling friction effect is lower than sliding friction, but is still significant in vehicle performance.
Traction control is a safety feature designed to reduce wheel spin under acceleration. It works in tandem with antilock brakes and is particularly useful on loose, wet, or icy surfaces.
A lever allows small efforts to overcome large loads – or vice versa, depending on the type of lever. The ratio between load and effort for any given lever is known as the Mechanical Advantage.
