1995 Chevrolet Corvette Owner's Manual - Page 168

Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go. They are thebrakes, the steering and the accelerator. All three systems have to dotheir work at theplaces where the tires meet the road. Braking Braking action involves perception timeand 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 3/4 of a second. But that's only an average. It might be less with one driver and as long astwo or threeseconds or more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugsand frustration. But even in 314 of a second, a vehicle m htravels 66 feet (20 m). moving at 60 mph (100 k / ) That could be 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 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. Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice,it's easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires and roadcan provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle. 4-5