1. Understand Stopping Distance
Many people understand that stopping distance is the amount of space a vehicle needs to come to a complete halt. Understanding stopping distance is vital to help you decrease stopping distance in the future. But what is stopping distance, exactly? What factors go into taking an automobile from, say, 50 MPH on a freeway to a full stop in heavy, bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic?
Getting to the answer requires considering four things:
- Your perception time: How long it takes for you to perceive the need to stop.
- Your reaction time: How long it takes for you to push the brake pedal.
- The vehicle's reaction time: How long it takes for the car to begin braking.
- The vehicle's braking capability: How quickly the car stops, factoring in issues like the condition of the brake pads, brake rotors, and tires.
Experts agree that it takes about 3/4 of a second to perceive a "need to brake" situation. A child's ball rolling into the street in front of you may be one such instance. Add another 3/4 of a second to react to move your foot to the brake pedal. If you're driving 55 MPH, that combined time of 1.5 seconds sees your vehicle cover just over 120 feet. That's when the car begins to stop.
- On dry pavement, a car requires approximately 144 feet to stop.
- On wet pavement, a car needs 183 feet to stop.
Do the math between perception, reaction, and vehicle stopping power, and you're flirting with the length of a football field — 300 feet — to stop. Understanding stopping distance is essential, because once you understand all of the factors that go into it, and how critical each is, you also understand the importance of boosting your vehicle's braking performance.
2. Pay Attention to Your Car
The cars we drive communicate with us in many ways. Sometimes, they make an unexpected noise. Other times, they give off a strange smell from the A/C. Properly maintaining a vehicle requires us to note these signals and get them checked out. Ensuring that a car has peak braking performance is no different. There are several ways the vehicle can let us know there's a problem with its braking power:
Noisy brakes: Over time, brake pads lose the friction required to help stop a vehicle efficiently. The result is a squealing sound generated when those brake pads and rotors come into contact.
Smelly brakes: It isn't just noise. Those same worn brake pads, or perhaps a stuck brake caliper, may begin to release a visible vapor and smell. The vapor may be difficult to see, but your nose will pick up the resulting unpleasant odor.
Soft brakes: Moisture accumulated over time in the brake fluid reservoir could cause the brake fluid to boil from the heat generated by your car's regular operation. The result is a soft or spongy feeling when depressing the brake pedal. Air in the brake's hydraulic system can also cause a softer than normal brake pedal feeling.
Hard brake pedal: A harder than normal brake pedal feeling could be a sign of misadjusted brakes or a brake booster that is not functioning properly.
Worn tires: Braking power requires more than reliable braking components. Quality tires, properly aligned, are critical to having a responsive vehicle in both normal and emergency driving conditions. When tire tread is thin or too worn, your tires can't grip the road with the same "bite" they were designed to have, and thus can't deliver the same responsiveness when you brake or accelerate.
Listening to your car is just the start of improving its braking power, though. The next step is taking it to qualified mechanics using certified parts for the maintenance and repairs that will help you keep your vehicle performing its best.
The Power of INFINITI
When it comes to selecting a new vehicle, many people focus solely on a car's acceleration — its ability to achieve a specific speed from a complete stop or increase its speed for passing, merging, and other everyday driving maneuvers.
But it is your vehicle's braking system that plays a significant role in keeping you, your passengers, and other drivers from running into trouble on the road. Chief among the ways it fulfills its responsibilities is by reducing the vehicle's stopping distance.
Get genuine INFINITI brake parts designed to help your vehicle perform as intended.