1993 Chevrolet Suburban Owner's Manual - Page 180

Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go. Theyarethebrakes,thesteeringandtheaccelerator. All threesystemshave to do theirworkattheplaceswherethetiresmeettheroad. I AM409006 Sometimes,aswhenyou'redrivingonsnow or ice, it's easytoaskmoreof thosecontrolsystemsthanthetiresandroadcanprovide.Thatmeansyou canlosecontrol of yourvehicle. Braking Brakingactioninvolves perceptiontime and reactiontime. First,youhave to decidetopushonthebrakepedal.That's perception time. Thenyouhaveto bring upyourfootand do it.That's reactiontime. Average reactiontime isabout 3/4 of a second.Butthat'sonlyanaverage. or Itmightbelesswithonedriverandaslongastwoorthreeseconds morewithanother.Age,physicalcondition,alertness,coordination,and in 314 eyesightallplay a part. So do alcohol,drugsandfrustration.Buteven of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 kmlh) travels 66 feet (20 m). Thatcouldbe a lot of distanceinan emergency, so keepingenoughspace between your vehicle and others is important. And,ofcourse, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface road(whetherit'spavement or gravel);thecondition of theroad(wet, icy); tire tread;andtheconditionofyourbrakes. of the dry, 4-1 3