1998 Buick Riviera Owner's Manual - Page 173

Braking Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot and do That's reaction time. it. Average reaction time is about 314 of a second. But that's only an average. It might be less with driver one and as long as two or three seconds or more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination and eyesight all play a part. do alcohol, drugs and So frustration. But even 314 of a second, a vehicle in moving at 60 mph (100 k / ) m htravels 66 feet (20 m). That couldbe a lotof 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, tire of icy); tread; the condition your brakes;the weight of the of vehicle and the amount brake force applied. 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. If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate alot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking and longer brake life. If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake normally but don't pump your brakes.you do, the If If pedal may get harder to push down. your engine stops, you willstill have some power brake assist. But you will useit when you brake. Once the power assist is used up,it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.