1993 Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual - Page 155

Your Driving and the Road Braking Braking action involves perception 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 about % of i a second. But that's only an average. It might be less withone driver and as long as two or three seconds or more with another. Age, physicalcondition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in % 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. 8 8 I . ~ -< I , , 1 : 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. Most drivers treat their brakes with care. Some, however, overwork the braking system withpoor driving habits. Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts-heavy acceleration followed by 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 out much fasterif you do-alot of heavy braking. Don't "ride" the brakes by letting your left foot rest lightlyon the brake pedal while driving. 154