How Critical Are Good Brakes when measuring stopping distance?

Full-functioning brakes are required for safe driving. Knowing the safe stopping distances for cars travelling at various speeds aids in avoiding one of the leading causes of road accidents i.e., tailgating.

The braking distance is the distance it takes your car to come to a complete stop after you apply the brake for the first time. Combining your braking distance with your thinking distance allows you to calculate vehicle stopping distances for various speeds.

Brakes exist to keep us safe. Maintain your brakes, and they will maintain you. Check your brakes on a regular basis and have your car service in Reading once a year.

Simply put, the brakes on our car are there to slow the vehicle down and allow us to come to a safe stop. In an emergency, brakes can bring a vehicle to a complete stop, avoiding collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, or any other unforeseen situation.

How do I calculate stopping distances?

Stopping distance is a favourite driving theory test topic that many of us quickly forget when we get on the road for real. The stopping distance formula, on the other hand, is useful to keep on hand for quick calculations that ensure road safety.

The formula asks you to multiply your current speed by 0.5 increments, beginning with 2, to get your stopping distance in feet:

20 miles per hour multiplied by two equals 40 feet.

30 miles per hour multiplied by 2.5 equals 75 feet

40 miles per hour multiplied by three equals 120 feet.

50 miles per hour multiplied by 3.5 equals 175 feet

60 miles per hour multiplied by four equals 240 feet.

70 miles per hour multiplied by 4.5 equals 315 feet

If you work in metres, simply divide the above distance (in feet) by 3.3 to get the stopping distances in metres. Simply put, thinking distance is the amount of time it takes for a driver to react to a hazard and then brake. The shorter the overall stopping distance, the faster the car travels. At 70mph on the highway, the stopping distance is approximately 100m.

How do you make sure your brakes are in good working order?

You can check your brake conditions to ensure that your brakes are working properly and that your stopping distances are as safe and accurate as possible. Apply gentle pressure to the brake pedal to park on a flat and clear road. A lack of resistance while doing so, as well as your feet easily reaching the floor, indicates brake problems. Although sufficient amount of resistance to the pressure you apply to the pedal indicates that your brakes are in good working order.

Factors that can have an impact on braking distance

Weather - In bad weather, cars' stopping distances are likely to be longer. Wet, snowy, or icy weather not only increases braking distance for wheels, but it also increases thinking distance.

Tyre condition maintains a safe stopping distance - Under-inflated tyres have a significant impact on the distance it takes your car to stop. As previously stated, poorly maintained brakes have a significant impact on your vehicle's stopping distance.

Driver - Using drugs or alcohol while driving is illegal and has a significant impact on reaction time. Other dangerous distractions include the use of a mobile phone (which is also illegal), loud music, and disruptive passengers.

Here are a few top tips to help you get the most out of your brakes and keep them in tip-top shape to keep you as safe as possible at all times:

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BRAKE PADS AND HOW DO THEY WORK? - Brake pads provide friction to slow or stop your vehicle. Brake pads are an important component of the braking system. They are the component that makes contact with and applies pressure and friction to your vehicle's brake discs. Those flat, shiny discs you can sometimes see just behind the wheels of some vehicles. The pressure and friction applied to the brake discs slows and eventually stops the wheels of the car. When the wheels stop turning, the vehicle obviously stops moving.

WHAT IS THE LIFE EXPECTATION OF BRAKE PADS? - There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. There are several factors that will determine how long they last, including how and where you drive your car. If you spend a lot of time driving on the motorway, you may find that your brake pads last longer than if you spend more time driving around towns and cities or on shorter trips. Shorter journeys are much more likely to involve stopping and starting, such as at zebra crossings, traffic lights, roundabouts, and junctions, so you will use the brakes more frequently than you would if you were coasting along on a motorway, where you would not use them as frequently.