July 20, 2015 Allow Enough Room to Stop Your Car in Wet Conditions

It might seems obvious that the total stopping distance for your car would be longer when you are driving on a wet road than in dry conditions.  What might be less obvious is that the stopping distance is affected by the condition of your tires as well.

The general rule that most people have heard about is the one where you allow about 1 car distance for every 10 mph that you are driving on the highway.  Thus, if you are going 60 mph, then you would stay 6 car lengths behind the car the in front of you.

But it turns out that this rule is not going to work if you are driving in wet conditions, and/or if your tires are worn down.  You must keep a much longer distance between yourself and the car in front of you, to avoid a collision in the event of traffic slowing down suddenly.  

Follow the general guidelines below, and you will help to contribute to a safer driving environment for everyone!

Total Stopping Distance in Wet Conditions at 60 mph

If your tires are new…allow 9 car lengths (or 160 feet) to stop.

If your tires are about halfway worn out…allow 12 car lengths (or 205 feet) to stop

If your tires are worn out…you must allow 15 car lengths (or more than 250 feet) to stop

by See Jane Drill, Copyright 2015, All Rights Reserved