Control Of A Vehicle; Braking - GMC 1993 Jimmy Owner's Manual

Your Driving and the Road
Control of a Vehicle
AM409004
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go.
They are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator. Al l three systems have
to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road.
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 lose control of your vehicle.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction 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
314
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 314
of a second, a vehicle moving at
60
mph
(100
kmlh) 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.
4-1 2