1999 GMC Sierra 1500 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 192

Your Driving and the Road Control of a Vehicle Youhavethreesystemsthatmakeyour vehicle gowhereyouwant it to go. All threesystemshave Theyarethebrakes,thesteeringandtheaccelerator. to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road. AM409002 Sometimes,aswhenyou'redrivingonsnoworice,it'seasytoaskmoreof thosecontrolsystemsthanthetiresandroadcanprovide.Thatmeansyou can lose control of yourvehicle. Braking Brakingactioninvolves perceptiontime and reaction time. First,youhave to decide to pushonthebrakepedal.That's perception do it.That's reaction time. time. Thenyouhave to bring upyourfootand Average reaction time isabout 314 asecond.Butthat'sonlyanaverage. of Itmightbelesswithonedriverandaslongastwoorthreesecondsor morewithanother.Age,physicalcondition,alertness,coordination,and So do alcohol,drugsandfrustration.Buteven in 3/4 eyesightallplayapart. of asecond,avehiclemovingat 60 mph(100km/h)travels 66 feet (20 m). of distance in anemergency, so keepingenoughspace Thatcouldbealot is important. betweenyourvehicleandothers And,ofcourse, actualstoppingdistancesvarygreatlywiththesurface road(whetherit'spavement or gravel);thecondition of theroad(wet, icy):tiretread;andthecondition ofyour brakes, of the dry, 4-1 4