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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
314
of
a
second, a vehicle moving at
60
mph
(100
kdh) 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
or
me
road (whether it’s pavement or gravel);
the
condition
of
the road (wet, dry,
icy); tire tread; and the condition
of
your brakes.
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 Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic braking system that can help
you
keep it under control. When you start your vehicle and begin
to
drive away,
you may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise. This is the ABS system
testing itself.
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