1996 Chevrolet Tahoe Owner's Manual - Page 164

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. All three systems have to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road. Braking Braking action involvesperception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide topush 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 timeis 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 and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 k m 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. 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 moreof those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle. 4-5