http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/driving/a...10/article.html

Print this out and use this to do your own accident investigation.
http://www.fayar.net/east/teacher.web/math...12_Stopping.PDF

The following distances are in dry weather in a well maintained car.
The thinking distances are for the average driver paying full attention to the road.
Speed_____Thinking Distance____Braking Distance____Total Stopping Distance
20 mph____1.5 car lengths______1.5 car lengths_____3 car lengths
30 mph____2.5 car lengths______3.5 car lengths_____6 car lengths
40 mph____3 car lengths________6 car lengths_______9 car lengths
50 mph____3.5 car lengths______12.5 car lengths____16 car lengths
60 mph____4.5 car lengths______13.5 car length_____18 car lengths
70 mph____5 car lengths________19 car lengths______24 car lengths

So...since the length of the gen2 tibby is 170.9 in.(14.24 feet).
At 50mph....
It would take you 49.84 feet to react and apply the brakes, and 178 feet to stop the car, for a total distance of 227.84 feet.

[ April 10, 2003, 11:52 AM: Message edited by: Random ]

 

Bless you Random.

Quadratic equations.. how I hate thee... but this will prove very useful.

So it seems I may have been going even less than 50 mph? lol. Wouldn't that be nice...

 

A couple of other points to worth mentioning.

Auto tester figures ARE NOT COMPARABLE to real world brake performance, they are only comparable to the figures produced by them.

For example, Sport Compact Car magazine got a Toyota Celica to stop from 60-0 in 117 feet. If you look at the chart above, it seems impossible.

#1. Professional driver
#2. Controled conditions
#3. Driver knew in advance where/when to stop
#4. Their testing methodoly is seriously screwy.

SCC tests braking distances using a "stalker" radar gun. They accelerate the car to 70 or 75mph, then start braking, when the radar gun measures 60MPH, that's when their braking test starts. Since the driver applied the brakes earlier, they are "full on" when the test starts at 60mph, and all the weight has transfered foward to the front wheels. Their test is in no way comparable to real life driving on real roads, but comparable to other SCC tests.

Motor Trend uses a smilar screwy method. The driver accelerated to above 60mph then "coasts" down to 60mph as he hits a predetermined marker (cone). Then applies the brakes at the cone. It's a tad better, but still doesn't take into account the fact that the driver knew when/where to stop, and was prepared for it. It is also under controled conditions, with a proffessional driver. Not comparable to real life, but comparable to other Motor Trend test data.

So...if the figures you find published by magazines or websited don't match what's listed in my previous post above...now you know why.

 

Going by your diagram, I don't see how you are at fault/how the insurance company said you are at fault if he crossed your path/crossed the lane of traffic.

Do you have the police report yet? Maybe we can decipher just how the insurance company came to the conclusion.

 

Random, you are so good... lol

I went by the sherrif's station and talked to the Traffic Investigator. He said stopping distance on a normal vehicle at 50mph is around 120 feet. and total stopping distance including reaction time is 229 feet.

Now I just have to submit my disagreement with the traffic report in written form, and they will investigate it. What a pain.

 

If you can, get that in writing. That should PROVE you are not at fault and could not have stopped within the distance/time given, thus forcing fault onto the other driver.

 

You are totally right about that. I've worked for a magazine for 5 years, testing cars and writing articles. When we did the stop tests, we realized the factor that if you're already braking, you have the advantage of a negative acceleration, which actually helps a lot to stop. To avoid that we maintained vehicle speed at 61-62 MPH for about two seconds BEFORE touching the brake pedal. By the way, we used german optic equipment conected to a LapTop, Datron was the brand, to meassure distances and times.
But it is absolutely different to start braking at your will, than react and brake due to surprise elements on the road, totaly different reaction times and pedal control (even if you have or not ABS).

[ April 11, 2003, 10:11 AM: Message edited by: Zman ]