1993 Pontiac Grand Am Owner's Manual - Page 131

Your Driving and the Road 8mMng Braking action involvesperception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide to pushon 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 34 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 34 of a second, a vehicle moving at60 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. m . And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or gravel); the conditionof the road (wet, dry, icy); tire tread; and the conditionof your brakes. Most drivers treat their brakes with care. Some, however, overwork the braking system with poor driving habits. 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 out much faster you do a lot of if heavy braking. Don't "ride" the brakesby letting your left foot rest lightly on the brake pedal while driving. I I "Riding" your brakes can cause them to overheat to the point that they won't work well. You might not be able to stop your vehicle in time to avoid an accident. If you "ride" your brakes, they will get so hot they will require a lot of pedal force to slow you down. Avoid "riding" the brakes. 130