1997 Buick Riviera Owner's Manual - Page 169

Control of a Vehicle Braking You have three systems that make your vehicle go whereBraking action involves perception time and the reaction time. you want it to go. They are brakes, the steering and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. at the places where the meet the road. tires That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot and doit. 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 three seconds or more with or another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination So and eyesight all play a part. do alcohol, drugs and 3/4 frustration. But even in of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). so That could be lot of distance in an emergency, a keeping enough space between your vehicle and others is important. And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface the road (whether it's pavement or of gravel); the condition the road (wet, dry, icy); tire of tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight the of vehicle andthe amount of brake force applied.