According to traffic safety, what happens to stopping distance as speed increases?

As speed increases, stopping distance increases due to the physics of motion and the reaction time involved in operating a vehicle. When you travel faster, not only does your vehicle cover more ground when you press the brakes, but the distance it takes you to react and apply those brakes also grows longer.

Stopping distance is fundamentally composed of two main components: reaction distance and braking distance. Reaction distance is the distance you travel from the moment you perceive the need to stop until you actually start braking, while braking distance is the distance it takes to come to a complete stop once the brakes are applied. Both of these distances increase as speed increases. Therefore, at higher speeds, a driver's total stopping distance is significantly longer, which can lead to more severe accidents if stopping distances are not adequately accounted for.

This concept underscores the importance of maintaining appropriate speed limits and being aware of how stopping distance can change based on speed, enhancing overall traffic safety.