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 action involves
perception time
and
reaction
time
First, you have
to
decide to
push
ob
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
me
driver
and
as
long as
two
or three seconds
or
more with
another. Age., physical condition, alertness, co.ordinati.on
and eyesight
all
play a part. So
do
aIcohol, drugs and
frustration.
But
even in
314
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.
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 lase c.ontrol
of
your
vehicle.
4-6
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