Antilock brakes, or ABS, is an automobile safety system that prevents the wheels from locking up during hard braking situations. This helps the driver maintain vehicle control, even if they need to make an emergency stop. The ABS system uses a set of sensors to monitor the speed of each wheel individually and can detect when one or more wheels are about to lock up. When this happens, the system rapidly pulses the brakes to prevent wheel lockup and maintain traction.