1996 Chevrolet Cavalier Owner's Manual - Page 167

Control of a Vehicle You have three systems, that make your vehicle go where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator. Allthree systems have to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road. Braking Braking actioninvolves perception tiMe &Id reaction time. First, you have todecide to push on brake pedal. the That's perception time.Then you have to bring up vour 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 all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But evenin 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 h htravels 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. And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the road (whether it's pavementor 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 road can provide. That means youcan lose control of your vehicle. 4-5