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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
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
(1
00
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; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount
of
brake force applied.
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.
If
you keep
pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If
you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down.
If
your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use
it
when you brake. Once the power
assist is used
up,
it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-lock
Brake
System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS
is
an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
ANTI
-
LOCK
United States
Canada
If
your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light on
the instrument panel
will
come on briefly when you
start your vehicle.
4-6
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