1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Owner's Manual - Page 145

Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make your vehicle gowhere you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at the placeswhere the tires meet theroad. Braking Braking action involvesperception 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 about3/4 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 even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be alot 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 surfaceof the road (whether it's pavement or gravel); the conditionof the road (wet, dry, icy); tire tread; the conditionof your brakes; the weight of the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied. 4-6