Stopping distance trainer
Change the speed and the conditions and watch what happens to the distance. The numbers are easier to remember once you have seen the shape of them.
30 mph
23 metres — about 6 car lengths
Thinking distance9 mBefore the brakes do anything
Braking distance14 mGood tyres, good brakes, alert driver.
Overall23 m6 car lengths
Two things to take away
- Thinking distance is about you. Tiredness, distraction, illness and alcohol all lengthen it. Nothing about the car helps.
- Braking distance rises with the square of speed. Double the speed and you need roughly four times the distance — which is why the step from 60 to 70 is so much bigger than the step from 20 to 30.
Figures are the published typical distances for a dry road, adjusted for the conditions you choose. Real distances vary with the vehicle, its tyres and its load.