Specifications
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
(1
00
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.
Anti-lock Brake
System
(ABS)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes.
ABS
is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If
your vehicle has anti-lock
brakes, this warning light
on the instrument panel will
come on briefly when
you start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin
to
drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
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