Pontiac 1993 Grand Am Owner's Manual page 131

Your Driving and the Road
8mMng
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 34 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 34 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.
Don't "ride" the brakes by letting your
left foot rest lightly on the brake pedal
while driving.
"Riding" your brakes can
cause them to overheat to the
point that they won't work well.
You might not be able to stop your
vehicle in time to avoid an
accident. If you "ride" your
brakes, they will get so hot they
will require a lot of pedal force to
slow you down. Avoid "riding" the
I
I
brakes.
m . .
1 3 0