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.
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
krn/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.
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