Braking - Buick 1993 Park Avenue Owner's Manual

Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
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time.
First, you have to decide to push on 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 one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a
vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/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; and the condition of your brakes.
Most drivers treat their brakes with care. Some,
however, overwork the braking system with poor
driving habits.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
--
heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking -- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking.
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Don't "ride'' the brakes by letting your left foot rest
lightly on the brake pedal while driving.
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