1994 Oldsmobile Silhouette Owner's Manual - Page 137

brake pedal. That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That's reaction time. Average reaction timeis about3/4 of a second. But that's only an average. It might be less with one driver and as long as two or three seconds more or with another.Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination, andeyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. Buteven in % of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 k w h ) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance inan 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 condition of the your brakes. Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts- heavy acceleration followed by heavybraking - rather thankeeping pace with traffic. This isa 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, thepedal 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. Oncethe power assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the brakepedal will be harder to push. Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) Your Oldsmobile has anadvanced electronic brakingsystem that will help prevent skidding. 135