GMC 2003 Sierra - Manual (Page 287)

Braking
Braking action involves perception time arKi
reaction time.
RraL you ^lave lo decide lo pusn on the brake pedal.
That's
percopSion timB. Than you have to bring up yo^>r
iool and do It, That's resction sirm.
Average reacfion iime Is abooi 3^4 ot a sacond, But that’s
only an average. It mighl be less with one driver and as
long as two or Ihree seconds or more with another. Age,
physical condition, alertness, coordination and eyesight
aN play a pert. So do alcohol, drugs and ImstraHon. But
even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving al 60 mph
(100 km/h^ travels 6S feet (20 m). Thai could be a lot of
distance in an emergency, so keeping enough space
between your vehicle end others Js rriiportant.
And, or course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surlace of the road (whether it's pavement
or grave!}; jhe condition oi the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
Tread: Ihe condition of your brakes; the weight of
(be vehicfs and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking.,. Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleratior^ toliowed by heavy
braking rather than keeping pace with traffic, This is
a mistake. Your brakes may nol have lime to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster it you do a lot of heavy braking, II you keep pace
with the haHig and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake lifOr
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
noTmolly bul don’t pump your brakes. If you dp,
the pedal may gel harder to push down, if your engine
stops, you will still havB some power brake assisl-
But you will use il whan you brake. Once the power
assist is used up. K may take longer lo stop and
the brake pedal will be herder to push,
Anti-fock Brake System
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you sfarT your engine and begin lo drive away,
your anll-locJt brake syslem will check llself. You
may hear a mornentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on. This Is normal.
4-Q