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.

Drunk Driving

Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a global tragedy. Warning Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment can be affec ...

Steering

Electric Power Steering The vehicle has electric power steering. It does not have power steering fluid. Regular maintenance is not required. If power steering assist is lost due to a system malfun ...

Other materials:

Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function Check
Warning When you are doing this inspection, the vehicle could move suddenly. If the vehicle moves, you or others could be injured. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room around the vehicle. It should be parked on a level surface. Apply the parking brake. Be ready to app ...

Infotainment
Read the following pages to become familiar with these features. Warning Taking your eyes off the road for too long or too often while using any infotainment feature can cause a crash. You or others could be injured or killed. Do not give extended attention to infotainment tasks while driving. ...

Tires
Every new GM vehicle has high-quality tires made by a leading tire manufacturer. See the warranty manual for information regarding the tire warranty and where to get service. For additional information refer to the tire manufacturer. Warning Poorly maintained and improperly used tires are d ...