Questions and Answers for the UK drivers

THE HIGHWAY CODE

What is the Stopping and Braking Distance of a Car?

23/9/2014

20 Comments

The stopping distance will depend on your attention, the road surface, the weather conditions and your vehicle.

20 Comments

Ayanda

6/11/2017 19:17:05

Gee that helped a lot!🤯🤮

yrred ekaj link

24/1/2018 10:45:56

This website reall helped me a lot, thank you for your support and aid through the

Isaac

9/5/2018 08:58:54

I need proper answers

Jon

17/9/2018 12:56:08

These published 'stopping distances' are exactly the same as when I learnt to drive 36 years ago. Although reaction times are unaltered, the braking distances have improved dramatically. The Highway Code needs to be updated

steve

13/11/2018 19:19:01

Not so - there are old cars on the road still.

Antti Ranta

11/3/2019 15:24:09

These stopping distances were based on vehicles fitted with crossply tyres and rear drum brakes. Even 'old' cars on the road now have radial tyres and disc brakes all round which improve braking performance considerably.

Yash

11/3/2019 15:05:56

I agree with Isaac, this is a load of shite

Graeme

14/3/2019 12:44:21

I suppose they need to use worst case possible. Just checked my car against these figures and at 60mph it can stop just over half the distance given here (31.7m).

Martin link

15/5/2019 20:29:02

So the overall stopping distance for your car is 31.7m + 18m (thinking distance) which makes it 59.7m.

This assumes good tyres & brakes & suspension, a dry road and the driver reacting in 0.7 secs to see the hazard and feel it's serious enough to react and then brake, hard, very hard.

I'm not sure I could react in 0.7 secs every time - could you?

John King

18/6/2020 11:43:40

Dead right, Martin.

Craig

5/8/2019 20:26:23

Driving is a potentially dangerous business, it benefits us all to err on the safe side at all times. I am coming up to 70 and will retake my test to ensure that I am still good for the road. I have advocated that we should all retake a test every 5 years, but as most drivers give up good practice after passing their test, I think I'm on my own here!

Martin Evans link

5/8/2019 20:34:47

Good idea to keep your skills up to date...but what test are you going to take?

John King

18/6/2020 11:47:03

A good technique is to put yourself "on test" every time you drive. "How am I doing?".
"Did I see that cyclist as soon as I should have?".
"Do I know what is following me - when did I last look in my mirror?"

malcolm

9/8/2019 14:33:29

The cars used to establish the data were in the 1980's. Cars stop 36 to 50% quicker these days. The Government waste billions on consulting so why don't they do an up to date test?.

Martin

9/8/2019 14:40:41

Actually the overall stopping distances haven't change for many years before 1980.

But...there is plenty of recent research saying that although the braking distance may be shorter, the thinking distance may well be longer.

The Highway Code is based on the driver reacting in 0.7 seconds...that's to:
* see the hazard
* recognise you need maximum braking
* move your foot to the brake pedal and
* press hard

Personally I don't think I could do that every time and the research shows not 0.7 seconds but usually well over a second.

This makes the overall stopping distance much greater than you might expect.

At the end of the day, it's a guide and don't forget the most common crash in the UK is by someone ramming the back of a vehicle in front by being too close and not reacting quickly enough.

John King

11/9/2019 09:18:33

All of these guidelines I see flouted every day. A good rule of thumb is the 2 second guide for a safe following time. I have measured the tail-gating time of vehicles I have caught on my dashcam even as short as 0.3 seconds. Absolutely suicidal! And I can guarantee that I will be overtaken a dozen times in an hour by vehicles that then cut in in front of me with a time of 0.5s or less, even when the road behind them is clear.

Martin link

11/9/2019 11:35:01

I agree John the '2 second' gap is a good way of judging a safe following distance.

Not sure I have the same problem with people overtaking - even on motorways if I drive 2 hours I may be get 1 or 2 drivers undertaking me then cutting in front too close. I just open up the gap again and get on with my journey - not a problem and it doesn't effect my journey time.

MR Harris

12/9/2019 23:18:37

"Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule" - resonates with me from old Public Information adverts on the tv and at cinemas (when they used to do that sort of thing).

This was recently re-iterated to me at a motorcyclist training course.

yeet

18/6/2020 10:00:31

yeet

John King

18/6/2020 11:51:54

Yeet, this where you are supposed to put your comments, not your name...

What is the Stopping and Braking Distance of a Car?

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