What are stopping distances?
Stopping distance depends on how fast you are travelling.
Cars that are travelling 70 mph take 8 times as long to stop as travelling at 20 mph. The diagram below shows the stopping distances at different speeds.
Thinking and Braking Distance
Stopping distances are made up of two things:
Thinking Distance
It takes time for the driver to react to a situation. The thinking distance is the distance travelled in between realising he needs to brake and actually braking.
Braking Distance
The braking distance is the distance taken to stop once the brakes are applied.
Factors that affect stopping distance
There are lots of different things that can affect the stopping distance of a car. Some are to do with the drive, the car or both.
Drugs, weather, distractions in side the car, tiredness and speed can affect the thinking distance of the driver. Drugs like alcohol slow down the brains reactions.
Worn brakes, tires, mass of the car, speed and weather affect the braking distance of the car.
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