stopping distances

• What is stopping distance?

  The minimum distance required to stop a vehicle in an emergency
• What is the formula for total stopping distance?

  Total stopping distance is equal to thinking distance plus braking distance
• What are the components of stopping distance?

  • Thinking distance
  • Braking distance
• What is thinking distance?

  It is how far the car travels during the driver's reaction time
• What affects thinking distance?

  The speed of the vehicle and the driver's reaction time
• How does speed affect thinking distance?

  The faster you're going, the further you travel before braking
• What factors can increase reaction time?

  Being tired, drunk, on drugs, or distracted
• What is braking distance?

  The distance taken to stop once the brakes have been applied
• What factors affect braking distance?

  The speed and mass of the vehicle, and the condition of the brakes
• How does speed affect braking distance?

  As speed increases, the vehicle's kinetic energy increases, requiring more distance to stop
• What happens if brakes are worn or faulty?

  They won't apply as much pressure, causing the vehicle to travel further before stopping
• How does road condition affect braking distance?

  Wet or icy roads reduce friction, increasing stopping distance
• What is the importance of tire condition in stopping distance?

  Bald tires reduce grip, increasing stopping distance
• How does speed impact stopping distance in terms of diagrams?

  • Thinking distance increases proportionally with speed
  • Braking distance increases more quickly than expected
  • Doubling speed increases braking distance four-fold
  • Tripling speed increases braking distance nine-fold
• What does the graph of total stopping distance against speed look like?

  It is not a straight line; it gets steeper as speed increases
• What is the take-home message regarding speed and stopping distance?

  If traveling fast, it takes a lot longer to stop than expected