1993 Chevrolet Cavalier Owner's Manual - Page 134

Your Driving and the Road 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 it. That's reaction time. Average reaction time is about 34 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, physicalcondition, alertness, coordination and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in % of a second, a vehicle moving at60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping enough space between your vehicle and others is important. I32 And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire tread; and the condition of your brakes. Most drivers treat their brakes with care. Some, however, overwork the braking system withpoor driving habits. Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts-heavy acceleration followedby 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 you do a lot of if heavy braking. Don't "ride" the brakes by letting your left foot rest lightly on the brake pedal while driving.