Trust
Experience.

A second of distracted driving can cause a crash

On Behalf of | Feb 9, 2018 | Personal Injury |

While most residents of the Killeen and Fort Hood areas probably recognize that it takes some time and distance to stop a car, they may not really stop to think exactly how long a car or, especially, a large commercial vehicle like a truck is going to travel before it is able to stop.

Specifically, a car traveling at a highway speed of 65 miles per hour is going to need a little over 300 feet, or about the length of a football field, to come to a complete stop. This distance accounts for two things: first, it takes a driver a split second or two to actually hit the brakes in order to stop the car; second, the laws of physics and momentum mean that the car is going to travel several hundred feet before it actually stops.

Texans should be aware that slowing down a bit can help reduce braking distance. The more a vehicle weighs and the faster it is traveling, the longer it is going to take to stop. However, the real important thing that these numbers teach is that a driver needs to pay full attention to the road at all times so he or she can react immediately if a stop is called for.

After all, a driver can only do so much about the time it takes for a car to stop once the brakes get applied. The driver can, however, do a bit more about his or her decision-making and reaction time simply by being aware of his or her surroundings.

Even a split second checking that text or even taking a bite of food can mean the difference between a safe arrival and an accident that leaves someone with a serious personal injury.

Texans have an obligation to pay attention while driving, and the science of how long it takes a car to stop backs that up. When someone gets hurt because another driver did not live up to this responsibility, the injured person may be eligible to receive compensation.

FindLaw Network