stopping distances

What is a stopping distance

The minimum distance required to stop a vehicle in an emergency

How do you work out stopping distance

Stopping distance = thinking distance + braking distance

What is the thinking distance

How far the car travels during the drivers reaction time

What is the reaction time

The time between seeing hazard and applying breaks

What are two main things that affect thinking distance

Speed (of the vehicle ) and the reaction time

What factors affect reaction time and does it vary for different ppl

Reaction time will vary between different people but anything that decreases awareness E.G.being tired drunk on drugs or distracted will increase people’s reaction time. so will increase the thinking distance

What is breaking distance and what affects it

The distance taken to stop under the breaking force

Most important factors is the speed and mass of the vehicle under normal conditions

As both of these increase vehicles kinetic energy that has to reduce to 0 for vehicles to stop

Another factor is the condition or quality of the brakes if worn or faulty they won’t be able to apply as much pressure against wheel meaning it won’t slow down as quickly and will travel further before it stops

Give more factors that affect breaking distance

the condition or quality of the brakes if worn or faulty they won’t be able to apply as much pressure against wheel meaning it won’t slow down as quickly and will travel further before it stops

Anoyher factor relates to the traction between the car and the road if roads are wet or icy there will be less friction between tires and road causing the car to skid

If tires are bald they cannot grip road

Total stopping distance against speed not a straight line it gets steeper as speed increases