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
(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; 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.
4-6
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