Chevrolet Spark Owners Manual: Braking

Chevrolet Spark Owners Manual / Driving and Operating / Driving Information / 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.

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Steering

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Other materials:

Loss of Control
Skidding There are three types of skids that correspond to the vehicle's three control systems: Braking Skid - wheels are not rolling. Steering or Cornering Skid - too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force. Acceleration Skid - too much thro ...

Cruise Control
If equipped with cruise control, the vehicle can maintain a speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more without keeping your foot on the accelerator. Cruise control does not work at speeds below 40 km/h (25 mph). Warning Cruise control can be dangerous where you cannot drive safely at a steady s ...

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