May as well start the first ever serious thread...
As I have my theory test tomorrow...
Does anyone know a quick n easy way to remember breaking and stopping distances?
Short of just remembering them [not good idea for me] can anyone suggest a method?
Metric preff, but im sure I can work out imperial too
Kev
|
May as well start the first ever serious thread... As I have my theory test tomorrow... Does anyone know a quick n easy way to remember breaking and stopping distances? Short of just remembering them [not good idea for me] can anyone suggest a method? Metric preff, but im sure I can work out imperial too
Three seconds works for me...
|
ok, you'd have to look at the figures in imperial measures, but from a distant memory I seem to recall that at 30 mph stopping distance was 3 1/2 * speed, at 40 it was 4 1/2 * spéed, 50 = 5 1/2 * speed etc.
If you look at it, it should be obvious what the pattern is, but it was a loong time ago.
|
|
|
|
Kev,
A simple formula is as follows;
2 x 20 = 40ft
2.5 x 30 = 75ft
3 x 40 = 120ft
3.5 x 50 = 175ft
4 x 60 = 240ft
4.5 x 70 = 315ft
They are your overall stopping distances, if the question asks for BRAKING distances just subtract the speed from the overall distance ie 40mph stopping dist = 120ft - 40 = 80ft braking distance.
Good luck,
Tom
|
Thank you Tom, I knew it was something like that.
Sadly the last time I read the highway code would have been for my bike test about 25 years ago.
|
|
|
Cheers Tom, rather more straightforward than Ian's rather cryptic answer and Fcp's fantastic looking on
Tanks, Kev
|
Ian's rather cryptic answer ?
Say what?
If the object is in front of you (ie a car on the motorway) and you leave the three-second gap, guaranteed that you will have enough stopping distance - (bald tyres, wet conditions to be taken into account!)
At 120km/h, you are doing 2000m a minute, or (2000m/60 = 33.3m) a second - ie 3 seconds gives you 100m of stopping distance.
Tom wrote:
4.5 x 70 = 315ft
70 mph is 114km/h or thereabouts, and 100m = 328 foot, or thereabouts.
Roughly the same answer, methinks - and after all, I'm sure your question was directed at being able to stop in time - be it for a traffic light, a car slamming on brakes, a kid running out from the pavement, etc - or to be able to guage just how fast you can drive safely in fog - your stopping distance then is controlled by the distance you can actually see in front of you.
|
Ahhh! I see, very good. Getcha now
Unfortunatly, I dont think 'allow three seconds' as an option in my test 2morra. :-)
But much better idea for everyday driving.
But isn't it two seconds though? ;-)
Kev
|
Nope - the joys of the 3 seconds rule is that it gives you the extra cushion.
at 2 seconds, stopping from 70mph would mean stopping in 62-odd metres - not something I'd like to try!
Here's the 'table' for 3 second stopping
20 mph 26.67m
30 40.00
40 53.33
50 66.67
60 80.00
70 93.33
As a guide to yourself, as a learning driver, pace out a distance near your house, where there are fixed points, ie telegraph poles.
Then you can get a rough estimate of, for example, car sizes at known distances. Amazingly, many people I know couldn't gauge 100 yards at all...
|
When I took my bike test the "Two-second Rule" was quotable in place of stopping distances.
However, as Ian has pointed out, there are problems with this rule which I also mentioned a while ago in the archive.
Taking my IAM assessment I was advised that a 2 second gap was the minimum required between me and the car in front.
|
|
|
|
|
May as well start the first ever serious thread... As I have my theory test tomorrow... Does anyone know a quick n easy way to remember breaking and stopping distances? Short of just remembering them [not good idea for me] can anyone suggest a method? Metric preff, but im sure I can work out imperial too Kev
If the speed is X miles per hour, then the stopping distance is:
Y = X PLUS (X*X/20) feet
eg X = 70, Y = 70 PLUS (70*70/20) = 315 feet
eg X = 30, Y = 30 PLUS (30*30/20) = 75 feet
Ffa Coffi Pawb
wondering why the PLUS sign does not appear in his post!
|
|
|
![2022 Skoda Kodiaq 1.5 TSI SE L 5dr [7 Seat]](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/fallback/coming-soon.jpg)
