1997 Chevrolet Malibu Owner's Manual - Page 153

Control of a Vehicle Braking You have three systems that make your vehicle go where Braking action involves perception time and you wantit to go. They the brakes, the steering and are reaction time. the accelerator. All three systems havedo their work to First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. at the places where the tires meet the road. That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot anddo 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 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. do alcohol, drugs and So frustration. But even in of a second, a vehicle 3/4 moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot distance in an emergency, so of keeping enough space between your vehicle and others is important. And, of course, actual stopping distances greatly vary with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or gravel); the condition the road (wet, dry, icy); tire of tread; the condition your brakes; the weight the of of vehicle and the amount brake force applied. of Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's easy to ask moreof those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle. 4-6