1995 Oldsmobile 88 Owner's Manual - Page 163

Braking Braking actioninvolves perception time and reaction time. First, youhave 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. might be less with one driver It and aslong as twoor 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 in3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 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. And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface the road (whether it's pavement of or gravel); the conditionof the road (wet, dry, icy); tire tread; and the condition your brakes. of 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 much out faster if youdo a lot of heavy braking.If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate lot of unnecessary braking. That a means better braking and longer brake life. If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake normally but don't pump your brakes.you do, the If pedal mayget harder to push down.If your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push. 4-5