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You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to
go.
They are the brakes, the steering
and
the accelerator.
A l l
three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the-road.
Braking action involves perception time and reaction time
First, you have to decide to push ob the brake pedal.
That's perception time. Then you.have to 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. It might .be less with m e driver
and as long as two or three seconds
or
more with
another. Age., physical condition, alertness, co.ordinati.on
and eyesight all play a part. So do aIcohol, drugs and
frustration.
But
even in 314 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100
k m / h )
travels
66
feet (20
m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
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 condition of the road (wet,
dry,
icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount .of brake force applied.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road
can
provide. That means you can lase c.ontrol
of your vehicle.
4-6
. -
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