1993 Buick Park Avenue Owner's Manual - Page 173

Braking - Braking action involves perceptiontime and reaction time. First, you have to decide topush on the brake pedal. That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That's reaction time. Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But that's only an average. It might be less with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight allplay a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That couldbe a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping enough space between your vehicle and others is important. And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surfaceof the road (whether it's pavement or gravel); the condition the road (wet, dry, icy); tire of tread; and the condition your brakes. of Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking -- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. 0 Don't "ride'' the brakes by letting your left foot rest lightly on the brake pedal while driving. a==-- . . . Most drivers treat their brakes with care. Some, however, overwork the braking system with poor driving habits.