Driving Theory Stopping Distances
Stopping distances refer to the distance that you car is going to travel from the time that you decide that you need to press the brake through the time that the vehicle physically stops moving.
Now there are two things that clearly influence what the stopping distance is going to be. Those two elements are your reaction time, and secondly the speed at which you are moving, which is quantified by something called the braking distance.
As you would expect, the stopping distance is increased the faster you are travelling, because there is more speed to reduce and also the further you travel during the time that it takes you to react.
Thinking in metres travelled versus a speed in miles per hour (mph) a simple table can be created that tells you what the stopping distances are for a given speed.
Stopping distances are important because you need to ensure that you drive at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear and leave enough space in front of you to allow you to stop safely if inecessary.
This table shows you the stopping distances for speeds from 20mph up to 70mph.
| Speed |
Overall stopping distance |
| 20 mph
|
12 metres |
| 30 mph
|
23 metres |
| 40 mph
|
36 metres |
| 50 mph
|
53 metres |
| 60 mph
|
73 metres |
| 70 mph
|
96 metres |
Related Articles...
Driving and mobile phones
Some people are confused about the rules about using a mobile whilst
driving, whilst others know the rules and break them. You might see other
people driving with a phone to their ear but you...
Maintaining your car
It is essential that you look after your car and keep it in good condition. Not only is this paramount for your safety and that of other road users, but also it means that the longevity of your car...
What are greener fuels
One of the most well known of the green fuels is something that is called Biofuel.
Biofuel is a group of different fuels rather than an individual fuel in itself, and the class contains things...
Road conditions: driving in rain
Driving in rain is something that you can be sure you will experience regularly once you are an actual driver, although depending where you live and the time of year you learnt, you might have...
Your driving licence: getting it back
As the New Drivers Act article outlines, if you get six penalty points or more in the first two years of having a licence, then it is revoked and you have to retake both tests: the theory and the...
Taking the theory test if you don't speak English
Not everyone who takes the Driving Theory Test will be confident enough in their ability to speak and understand English to take the test. Whilst some people in Wales will want to take the test in...
Driving Theory
Practice makes perfect. It is a known fact that if you practice a particular skill, you get better at it. This is true of mental skills such as performing mental arithmetic: the more you try to do...
What to check on your car daily
A car is a sophisticated piece of machinery, although it is commonplace and therefore taken for granted by many there are considerable elements working together to make it work.
And if one...
Towing a load such as a caravan
When you tow a vehicle such as a caravan, it is clearly the case that driving conditions will be very different, and much more so again than simply having a heavier load or having a roof rack...
Regular car checks to perform
In addition to the daily checks that you should perform on core elements of your car such as the tyres (see article entitled 'what to check on your car daily') there are various other elements that...
Back to home page of driving theory test questions
