1994 Buick Skylark Owner's Manual - Page 150

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking Braking action involves perception time and reaction -- rather than keeping pace with traffic. Thisais mistake. Your brakes may not have time cool between to if hard stops.Your brakes will wear out much fasteryou First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will foot anddo it. That's reaction time. eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means Average reaction time about 3/4 of a second. But is better braking and longer brake life. that's only an average. It mightless with one driver be If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake and as long as two or three secondsmore with or If normally but don't pump your brakes.you do, the another. Age, physical condition, alertness, pedal may get harder to push down. If .your engine coordination, and eyesight play a part. So do alcohol, all stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But in drugs and fiustration. But even 3/4 of a second, a you will useit when you brake. Once the power assist is 60 vehicle moving at mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet stop used up, it may take longer to and the brake pedal (20 m). That could be lot of distance in an emergency, a will be harder to push. so keeping enough space between your vehicle and. others is important. Braking And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or gravel); the condition the road (wet, dry, icy); of tire tread; and the condition of your brakes.