Total stopping distance comprises which components?

Total stopping distance comprises which components?

• A. Reaction time, braking time, and perception time
• B. Braking time and reaction time
• C. Perception time only
• D. Reaction time and braking time

Answer: (A)

Total stopping distance is the sum of everything that happens from the moment you first notice a hazard until you come to a stop. It includes perception time—the moment you recognize the hazard—, reaction time—the time from recognizing the hazard to actually applying the brakes—and braking time—the time it takes for the car to slow to a stop after the brakes are applied. Each part adds distance, so the total stopping distance accounts for perception, the reaction, and the braking phase. If you left out any one of these, you’d underestimate how far you travel before stopping.

Total stopping distance is the sum of everything that happens from the moment you first notice a hazard until you come to a stop. It includes perception time—the moment you recognize the hazard—, reaction time—the time from recognizing the hazard to actually applying the brakes—and braking time—the time it takes for the car to slow to a stop after the brakes are applied. Each part adds distance, so the total stopping distance accounts for perception, the reaction, and the braking phase. If you left out any one of these, you’d underestimate how far you travel before stopping.