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As a driver in your day to day driving you must have come across a situation wherein you have to perform an emergency braking, which can be due to any sudden deep pothole appearing on a smooth road, or the car/vehicle in front applies brakes abruptly. And here, in such a situation, in order to prevent any accident or harsh bump, you would want to stop the car at a shortest possible distance (if not immediately) and in quick time too. However, to make things work as per your intents you need a practical approach towards it, as to how you can achieve the said objective.
So, here we provide you with 10 factors that actually lay the foundation on how rapidly your car can stop alongside some precautionary measures that can help you lessen the stopping distance and what could be done to evade such situations.
1. Calculative Speed
Thinking distance and braking distance are the two aspects that make ‘stopping distance’. Here thinking distance is basically the reaction time taken by the driver to press the brake pedal after sighting any hurdle; whilst braking distance is the distance covered after pressing the brake pedal and taking the car to a complete halt.
Thinking distance and braking distance, both have got a very strong connection with your speed. The faster you are driving the distance travelled by you will be more, before the brake thing comes into picture i.e. thinking distance, and from the brake application to the vehicle coming to a complete stop i.e. braking distance. For instance, if your car speed is between 30-60 kmph, it will take an average of 12 additional meters, or 3-4 car lengths, to make your car stop completely. Hence, it is always recommended to follow the prescribed speed limits on certain roads and slow down while driving through any residential zones.
2. Well Maintained Brakes
Nowadays, every modern car is equipped with Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), but when it comes to reduction in stopping distance, it doesn’t solve the purpose that aptly. To be precise, ABS is more into the controlling of the vehicle in any sudden brake situation. That is why; well-maintained brakes could be of great help here.
Brake pads come with a block of friction stuff and when the brakes are applied it presses against the brake disc. This ‘friction material’ is bound to wear down by continuous usage, which leads to an uneven brake disc alongside making them to overheat and lose stopping power. Therefore, well-maintained brakes will ultimately reduce your stopping distance. Wet and water logged roads are also unsung enemies of the brakes, which lead to moisture between the pads and discs making them less effective.
TIP – Always remember to pump the brake pedal a few times after you have driven through deep water and by driving at low speeds for a while (after deep water driving) you can give them some time to dry, so that they are ready to serve the purpose next time.
3. Correct Tyre Pressure
Tyres play one of the lead roles in making your car stop as and when you want because they are in maximum contact with the road surface. Same way, with over or under inflated tyres, as the tread contact space will be reduced, the tyres won’t be able to make proper contact. Here the outer tread borders of the underinflated tyres make more contact with the road, wherein, overinflated tyres make more contact in the centre. Be it underinflated or overinflated, both are not good for the stopping distance and tyres. This also causes uneven wear of tyres alongside the traction level will also get impacted. But you can get away with such situation just by checking tyre pressure every month using the suggested pressure given in your vehicle user manual.
4. Irregular Tyre Wear
It is always recommended to change your tyres when the tyre tread depth reaches 1.6 mm. Generally, a brand new tyre comes with about 8 mm of tyre tread which wears down little by little by way of continued usage i.e. driving. As the tread level trims down, it automatically reduces the tyre’s ability to hold the road. For instance, on a wet road, at a speed of 45 kmph, a car fitted with new tyres (that has 8mm of tread) will halt in 25.9 meters, while the same car at same speed, but equipped with tyres that have merely 3 mm of tread, will stop in 35 meters of distance. This shocking calculation is when your tyre hasn’t crossed the suggested tread level. Moreover, things get nastier when it reaches the minimum 1.6 mm, where the stopping distance expands to a big 43 meters.
5. Quality Of Tyre
Quality of tyres also plays an important role in reducing the stopping distance. If you purchase branded tyres from manufacturers like MRF, Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, Ceat or Apollo it provides you with a peace of mind that you have got a premium tyre at hand. There are not one but many tyre tests that attest the fact that the genuine tyres are worthy of the extra cash. As they provide more control, proper grip and reduced stopping distance compared to the inexpensive or budget tyres. Here for example, if a car equipped with branded tyres is travelling at a speed of 100 kmph it would halt completely about 16 meters shorter against the set of new budget tyres. Reduction in stopping distance is one thing; branded premium tyres also bestow other commendable advantages like lifespan, increased mileage and hydroplaning resistance.
6. Dismal Road Conditions
Although the proper upkeep of the tyres can shorten your braking distance, however, the weather is something that we do not have any control over it. Despite this fact, road conditions such as water logged roads, ice or snowy situations or coming across any slippery surface can bring large impact on your stopping distance. Under heavy rain conditions the chances of hydroplaning are always up, and if the tyres are not able to scatter the water between the tread and the road, there are all chances of losing control over the vehicle. Furthermore, while driving in extremely cold conditions snow gets accumulated in the tyre grooves, which lessens the effectiveness of the tyres to a great extent on the surface leading to sliding and getting the stopping distance multiply 10 times compared to the dry road. Here the only weapon that you have got at hand is to drive slow and keep safe, very safe distance.
7. Clear View of the Road
This has got about nothing to do with tyres, but with your thinking distance. It is pretty simple, the longer you take to find the danger on the road, the more time you will acquire to press the brake pedal. An untidy or soiled windscreen will diminish your view of the road, hence, make sure you wash your car’s windscreen on regular basis and assure that the wipers are always up and in working condition. Broken wiper blades may decrease your visibility even more as they might smear the dirt present on the screen, which might make vision more difficult. On winter and foggy mornings, never hasten to get into the car without getting the windscreen entirely cleared. Always, prepare yourself a few minutes early in order to warm the car up and to wipe off all the snow/ice before your leave for home or work.
8. Unavoidable Distractions
Now this is something that you just cannot keep off, but unfortunately, you have to, in order to avoid any misfortune. In this age of digital technology, it is very easy to get your attention diverted with the in-car gadgetries. Here, the cell phones are the greatest concerns that take off driver’s concentration immediately. Never use your mobile phone while driving unless there is Bluetooth connectivity. Other distractions can be the programming of the satellite navigation or global positioning system or even shuffling of the radio stations, avoid them. At the time of driving, to keep the drivers focused ‘only on driving’ auto manufacturers are working to assimilate all these systems into the vehicles, which can be operated by using voice commands that will result in keeping the driver free from in-car distractions leading to full attention on the road.
9. Drink And Driving Situation
This should be followed strictly without saying. You should not drink and drive as there have been a number of road safety campaigns in the country that encourage ‘no drinking while driving’ alongside make you aware of the unforgiving consequences of the same. In the recent times, besides drink driving cases, there has also been a rapid increase in the drug driving cases in India. Remember, under the section 185 of Motor Vehicle Act 1988, a person found drunk while driving or is driving under the influence was a punishable criminal offence, and called for a fine of Rs 2,000 or an imprisonment of six months, which has now been revised to a penalty of Rs 10,000 under the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016.
A person with the influence of drugs and liquor takes time to act upon the given situation. Here even if one gets delayed by a few seconds to spot a danger on the road, like a pedestrian crossing the road and applies the brakes, it may be too late. Another thing apparent here is that a drink/drug driver may not be able to push the brake pedal that firmly in an emergency stop situation due to impaired senses.
10. Visible Tiredness
Nearly one-fifth of the mishaps occur due to continuous driving on the highways, which possibly cause drivers to fall asleep. In spite being tired if you do not take a halt, and continue to drive, it can seriously slow down your reaction time. At any moment, while driving if you feel tired or find yourself losing concentration, make sure you take a break. On long journeys, it is generally advised to opt for 15 minutes break every two hours of driving or share driving duties. This will enhance the chances of staying attentive and carefully optimising your stopping distance.
Stay tuned, Keep reading!!
