1995 Pontiac Grand Prix Owner's Manual - Page 148

Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make your vehicle where go you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator. All three systems have to their work do 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's perception time. Then you haveto 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 driver It one and as long 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 in of a second, a vehicle 3/4 m htravels 66 feet (20 m). moving at 60 mph (100 k / ) That could be a lot of distance an emergency,so in keeping enough space between your vehicle and others is important. 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 condition your brakes. of Sometimes, as when you're driving snow or ice, it's on easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road can provide.. That means you can control lose of your vehicle. 4-5