Stopping distance

In an emergency, the driver of a car may have to react quickly and apply the brakes. The cars’ stopping distance is the sum of (thinking distance + braking distance).

Stopping distance = thinking distance + braking distance.

Thinking distance: how far the car travels before the brakes are applied.

Braking distance: how far the car travels after the brakes are applied.

The faster the car is traveling the greater the stopping distance and vice versa.