Control
of
a
Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you
want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
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.
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.
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.
To Next Page
Loading...
