Stopping Distance – What You Don’t Know Could Kill You

Most of us realize that stopping distance increases when weather conditions change.  What most people don’t know is how dramatically the distance increases.  Let’s take a look at a few examples:

Assuming normal reaction times and conditions here are some numbers to wrap your head around.  If you are going 20 miles per hour it should take you about 40 feet to stop your vehicle right? Yes, that is correct.

What if we double that to 40 miles per hour?  Did you automatically think it should take 80 feet?  WRONG!  The correct answer is nearly 120 feet!  Almost three times the stopping distance!

Now let’s change the conditions:

·         Wet weather- expect the stopping distance to be nearly double!

·         Poor Traction-  stopping distance can increase by over 40%

·         Icy conditions- anticipate as much as 10 times the distance to stop

·         Distractions- believe it or not, because of the delayed reaction time stopping distance can be just as poor as icy conditions!

The best policy: drive defensively when conditions change (not that you should ever drive offensively…).  Slow down!  The whole point of this article is that the largest determinant of stopping distance is the speed that you’re traveling followed by the conditions in which you are traveling.  Be smart, be safe, and stay alive.

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