Pontiac 2010 Vibe User Manual download pdf (Page 138)

Braking

See Brake System Warning Light on

page 4-17.

Braking action involves perception

time and reaction time. Deciding

to push the brake pedal is

perception time. Actually doing

it is reaction time.

Average reaction time is about

three-fourths of a second. But

that is 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

three-fourths of a second, a vehicle

moving at 100 km/h (60 mph) travels

20 m (66 ft). That could be a lot of

distance in an emergency, so

keeping enough space between the

vehicle and others is important.

And, of course, actual stopping

distances vary greatly with the

surface of the road, whether it is

pavement or gravel; the condition of

the road, whether it is wet, dry, or icy;

tire tread; the condition of the 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.

The brakes might not have time to

cool between hard stops. The brakes

will wear out much faster with a lot of

heavy braking. Keeping pace with

the traffic and allowing realistic

following distances eliminates a lot of

unnecessary braking. That means

better braking and longer brake life.

If the engine ever stops while the

vehicle is being driven, brake

normally but do not pump the brakes.

If the brakes are pumped, the pedal

could get harder to push down. If the

engine stops, there will still 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.

Adding non-dealer/non-retailer

accessories can affect vehicle

performance. See Accessories and

Modiﬁcations on page 9-3.

Steering

If the engine stalls while driving, the

power steering assist system will

continue to operate until you are able

to stop the vehicle. If power steering

assist is lost because the electric

power steering system is not

functioning, the vehicle can be

steered but it will take more effort.

8-4 Driving and Operating

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