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.
.
.
..-
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’sperception
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
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.
4-5
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