STOPPING SIGHT DISTANCE

TERMINOLOGIES
Sight Distance – is the length of roadway ahead visible to the
driver.
Stopping sight distance – is the total distance travelled
during three time intervals;
 a) The time for the driver to perceive the hazard.
 b.) The time to react
 c.) The time to stop the vehicle after the brakes are applied

Based on the National Safety Council, average driver reaction

time is ¾ seconds.
A car is moving at a certain velocity V after
seeing the object ahead of him, will still travel
a distance Vt before he starts applying the
brakes.
The braking distance depends upon the speed
and the type of pavement, in this case we have
to consider the coefficient of friction, f,
between the tires and the pavement. The
time, t (sec) is called the Perception-reaction
time as is approximately ¾ seconds.
SAFE STOPPING SIGHT
DISTANCE
1.Distancetraversed during perception plus
brake reaction time

2. Distance required for stopping after the

brakes are applied (braking distance)
EXAMPLES
1. A vehicle travelling at a speed of 40 kph was stopped
within 1.8 sec after the application of brakes.
Determine the average skid resistance. Ans : f = 0.63
2. A bus driver approaches a hazard at a speed of 80
kph. What is the distance travelled during the
perception-reaction time if the the PIEV ( perception,
identification, emotion and volition) time is 2.4 s.
3. In a braking test, a vehicle travelling at a speed of 30
kph was stopped by applying brakes fully and the skid
marks were 5.7 m in length. Determine the average
skid resistance of the level pavement surface. Ans.
f=0.62
GROUP ACTIVITY
1. A driver travelling at 70 kph sees a stalled
car 30.m ahead. If the driver applies the
brakes immediately ( perception-reaction
time is zero) and begins slowing the vehicle
at 8 m/s2 – (emergency decelaration) how
far from the stalled car will the car stops to
avoid hitting the stalled vehicle? Ans: S =
23.63 m, 6.37 m
2. Compute the total stopping sight distance
that a car moves during the accident based
on the following data: Ans: 121.41
m
Initial velocity of the car : 60 kph
Final velocity of the car: 0 kph
Coeff. of friction between the tires and
pavement= 0.15
Slope of roadway = -2%
Perception-reaction time = 0.75 s
3. The driver of a vehicle travelling at 80 kph
up a grade requires 9 m. less to stop after he
applies the brakes than the driver travelling at
the same speed down the same grade. If the
coefficient of friction between the tires and
pavement is 0.50, what is the percent grade
and what is the braking distance down the
grade? Ans: 4.4, 55.27 m