Introduction
Few drivers have an understanding of the distance required to bring their vehicles to a complete stop. In our crash reports from emergency medical services we find many rear-end crashes caused by either the wrong speed for the conditions, inappropriate following distances or a lack of driver attentiveness.
The many crashes where smaller vehicles are rear-ended by heavy vehicles also reveal that our drivers have very little understanding of the increased stopping distance required by those driving heavy vehicles.
Few drivers of smaller passenger vehicles have ever been behind the steering wheel of a 50ton truck - if they have been they would never simply change lanes and cut into traffic in front of heavy vehicles.
It is important that we share a few important numbers with our drivers in alerting them to these risks and assisting them to share roads with trucks much safer!
Speed Conversion to Metre per Second
60 KM/H
16.67 Metres / Second
80 KM/H
22.24...
↧