Stopping distance. It isn’t just how far you travel after hitting the brakes.
It begins much earlier than the actual physical reaction. True stopping distance is from the moment you decide to stop until the car is stationary.
What Is Stopping Distance?
Think of it in the following way - stopping distance = ‘thinking distance’ + ‘braking distance’.
In that formula the 2 variables can be broken down as such:
- Thinking distance: how far you travel while your brain reacts and your foot moves.
- Braking distance: how far the car travels once the brakes are applied.
In terms of the mechanical, tyres dominate the braking distance of a car.
This is because they’re the only part of your vehicle that is in contact with the road.
So, factors that affect tyres can change the speed at which you stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do wider tyres always stop shorter?
Not necessarily. Compound, tread design and pressure matter more than headline width. A well-designed 205-section tyre can out-brake a poor 225 in the wet.