Braking

Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. Deciding to push the brake pedal is perception time. Actually doing it is reaction time.

Average driver reaction time is about three-quarters of a second. In that time, a vehicle moving at 100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20m (66 ft), which could be a lot of distance in an emergency.

Helpful braking tips to keep in mind include:

- Keep enough distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.

- Avoid needless heavy braking.

- Keep pace with traffic.

If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is being driven, brake normally but do not pump the brakes. Doing so could make the pedal harder to push down. If the engine stops, there will be some power brake assist but it will be used when the brake is applied.

Once the power assist is used up, it can take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.

    See also:

    Hill Start Assist (HSA)
    Non-hybrid vehicles with StabiliTrak have a Hill Start Assist (HSA) feature, which may be useful when the vehicle is stopped on a grade. This feature is designed to prevent the vehicle from rollin ...

    How to Detect a Tamper Condition
    If is pressed and the horn sounds, an attempted break-in has occurred while the system was armed. If the alarm has been activated, the THEFT ATTEMPTED message will appear on the DIC. See A ...

    Traction Control Operation
    TCS is part of the StabiliTrak system. Traction control limits wheel spin by reducing engine power to the wheels (engine speed management) and by applying brakes to each individual wheel (brake-tr ...