Braking Distance Calculator
How far will your car travel before it stops? Use this tool to understand how speed and road conditions dramatically affect your stopping distance.
Educational Tool: This calculator estimates stopping distance based on physics formulas. Real-world results depend on vehicle weight, brake condition, driver alertness, and ABS systems.
Enter Driving Conditions
Enter your speed and road conditions to see your stopping distance.
Learn how speed and traction affect your ability to stop safely.
Myth
"ABS makes your car stop faster."
Not always. ABS prevents wheel lock-up so you can steer while braking, but it may not reduce stopping distance on all surfaces.
Myth
"Tailgating is fine if traffic is moving."
False. Stopping distance increases with the SQUARE of speed. At 60 mph, you need 4x the distance as 30 mph.
Myth
"All-season tires work in snow."
Marginally. Winter tires can reduce braking distance by 30-40% compared to all-season tires in cold/snowy conditions.
This calculator uses standard physics formulas and average friction coefficients. Actual stopping distance depends on vehicle weight, brake condition, tire tread depth, road surface, and driver reaction time.
Understanding Stopping Distance
Stopping distance is made up of two components: reaction distance (how far you travel while perceiving and reacting to a hazard) and braking distance (how far your car travels after you apply the brakes).
Why Speed Matters So Much
Stopping distance doesn't increase linearly with speed—it increases with the square of speed. This means if you double your speed, your braking distance quadruples.
The 3-Second Rule
On dry roads, maintain at least a 3-second following distance. In wet conditions, increase this to 6 seconds. On ice or snow, 10+ seconds may be necessary.
"At 60 mph, you travel 88 feet per second. In the time it takes you to react (1.5 seconds), you've already traveled 132 feet—before you even touch the brake pedal."
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Practice with real DMV questions covering stopping distance, following distance, and more.
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