1998 Pontiac Grand Am Owner's Manual - Page 163

Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make vehicle go where your you WaTlf it ro go. They are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator.All three systems have to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road. Braking Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That'sperception time. Then you have to bringup your foot anddo it. That's reaction time. Average reaction time about 3/4 of a second. But is 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 eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in of a second, a vehicle 314 moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could bea 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 or of gravel); the condition the road (wet, dry, tire of icy); of tread; the condition your brakes;the weight of the vehicle and the amount brake force applied. of Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or it's ice, of easy to ask more those control systems than the tires and road can provide. means you can lose control That of your vehicle. 4-6