Driver Care: Know Your Stopping Distance

What can a one-second advantage mean to your fleet drivers?

Everybody wants the gift of more time, but how valuable could just one measly, crummy second be to you? When it comes to using your vehicle's brakes on the highway, it could mean – well, a whole lot more than you might imagine. 

Your reaction time plus stopping distance equals where your vehicle finally comes to a rest. Studies have shown that it takes the average driver from one-half to three-quarters of a second to perceive a need to hit the brakes, and another three-quarters of a second to move your foot from the gas to the brake pedal. 

Everybody’s reaction times are different, but that’s up to a full one-and-a-half seconds between when you first start to realize you’re in trouble and before you even start to slow down. And what happens after you stop your vehicle is why this matters, often the difference between a crash and a safe stop. 

This is fundamental – there’s no changing human physiology.  But let’s look how that affects your ability to stop your car. 

Time to Stop Your Car

The table below shows the distances it takes an average car to come to a stop on dry pavement from different speeds, including the distance traveled for just one second of perception and reaction time:

Speed	Perception/Reaction Distance	Braking Distance	Overal Stopping Distance	Equal to Approx Number of Car Lengths (@15 feet)
30 mph	44 feet	45 feet	89 feet	6
40 mph	59 feet	80 feet	139 feet	9
50 mph	73 feet	125 feet	198 feet	14
60 mph	88 feet	180 feet	268 feet	18
70 mph	103 feet	245 feet	348 feet	23
80mph	117 feet	320 feet	439 feet	29

 

Notice that when you double your speed – say, from 30 mph to 60, or 40 to 80 – your total stopping distance more than doubles: it triples!

When it comes to braking, always follow these three key defensive driving principles: 

• Keep your speed down. The slower you drive, the shorter your stopping distance.
• Look far ahead to increase your warning time. By always looking as far down the road as you can, you’ll see emerging hazards and the brake lights of cars ahead of you sooner.
• Move your foot early. By taking your foot off the gas and pressing on the brake pedal lightly at the first sign that you need to slow down, you get a jump on your reaction time, and you protect your backside by giving drivers behind you an earlier warning sign.

A classic study conducted in the 1980s found that 90% of all accidents could have been avoided if the driver had reacted just one second earlier. Using these tips for safe braking might just give you the one-second advantage you need.

Another added benefit of better brake use and understanding stopping distance? Improved fuel economy! By knowing when to push the pedal, when to coast and when to use your brakes you will increase your vehicle's fuel efficiency! 

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