1996 Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual - Page 172

Control of a Vehicle Braking You have three systems that make your vehicle go where Braking action involves perception time and youwantitto go. They are the brakes, the steering and reaction time. the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work First, you have to decide to push on the brake at the places where the tires meet the road. pedal. That'sperception time. Then you have to bring up your foot d do it.That's reaction time. A Average reaction time is about3/4 of a second. But that's only an average. might be less with one driver It and as long as two or three seconds or more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination and eyesighta l play a part. do alcohol, drugs and l So frustration. But even in of a second, a vehicle 3/4 moving at60 mph (100 h htravels 66 feet (20 m). / ) so That could be a lot distance in an emergency, of keeping enough space between your vehicle others and is important. And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface the road (whether it's pavement of or gravel); the condition the road (wet,dry, icy); tire of tread; and the condition your brakes. of Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's of easy to ask more those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means can lose control you of your vehicle. i