Edmund's describes traction control as the opposite of, or reverse of, an anti-lock braking system (ABS). As the driver presses the accelerator down, a sensor converts the position of the accelerator pedal into an electrical signal which then goes to a control unit. If your tires begin to spin as you accelerate, the control unit sends a signal to individual brakes of the spinning tires and the throttle unit. The control unit adjusts spinning through a series of brake pulses applied to stop the spinning tires which, in turn, maintains maximum traction.