Car Safety

Thinking Distance = distance travelled between the driver realising the danger and actually reacting to it. 

Increased by: alcohol, drugs and fatigue 

Braking distance = distance taken for the vehicle to decelerate to rest after the driver has hit the brakes.

Increased by: the condition of brakes, speed, weather conditions, mass and condition of tyres

• vehicles with large masses like lorries will have larger breaking distance because of smaller rates of deceleration
• if it is rainy, tyres come into contact with water, not road so less friction and longer braking distance
• the tread of a tyre is the grooved pattern moulded into the rubber surface and designed to keep the rubber in contact w/ the road by throwing the water away from the tyre. 
• friction force depends on the weight of the vehicle and condition of tyres 

Thinking distance + Breaking distance = stopping distance