Stopping Distance Calculator
Find how far a vehicle needs to stop.
Result
How to use
- Enter your values in the fields above.
- Press Calculate to see your result instantly.
- Use the Share button to copy a link to your result.
About this calculator
This calculator adds two physically distinct phases to find total vehicle stopping distance: reaction distance = speed × reaction time (how far the vehicle travels before the driver even begins braking), and braking distance = v² / (2·μ·g), derived from the work-energy theorem where μ is the coefficient of friction between tires and road and g is gravitational acceleration. Because braking distance scales with the square of speed, doubling your speed quadruples the braking distance — a fact that surprises many drivers.
Driving instructors, driver's-ed students studying for licensing exams, road safety engineers setting speed limits and sight-distance requirements, and physics students all use this relationship. Enter the speed, driver reaction time and road friction coefficient to get the total stopping distance.
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