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Question:
Even in good conditions it will usually take you further than you think to stop. Don’t just learn the figures, make sure you understand how far the distance is.
A great way to remember the overall stopping distances.
Starting from 20mph you simply multiply the speed by intervals of 0.5, beginning with 2, for example, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 etc., as follows:
20 mph x 2 = 40 feet ((12 meters) or 3 car lengths)
30 mph x 2.5 = 75 feet ((23 meters) or 6 car lengths)
40 mph x 3 = 120 feet ((36.5 meters) or 9 car lengths)
50 mph x 3.5 = 175 feet ((53 meters) or 13 car lengths)
60 mph x 4 = 240 feet ((73 meters) or 18 car lengths)
70 mph x 4.5 = 315 feet ((96 meters) or 24 car lengths)
The above calculations are a simple way to help you remember the correct stopping distances, but please be aware that these are approximate.
The overall stopping distance is really the only safe separation gap; anything less than this can be considered a risk.
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