Ratio of Speed to Stopping Distance

§ 46.2-880. Tables of speed and stopping distances.

All courts shall take notice of the following tables of speed and stopping distances of motor vehicles, which shall not raise a presumption, in actions in which inquiry thereon is pertinent to the issues:

SPEED IN		AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCES			TOTAL STOPPING DISTANCES
Miles per Hour	Feet per Second	Automobile Brakes (In Feet)	Truck Brakes (Brakes on All Wheels (In Feet)	Average Driver Reaction Time (3/4 seconds) (In Feet)	Automobiles (In Feet)	Trucks (In Feet)
10	14.67	5	7	11	16	18
15	22.0	12	17	16	28	33
20	29.34	21	30	22	43	52
25	36.62	32	47	27	59	74
30	44.0	47	67	33	80	100
35	51.3	63	92	38	101	130
40	58.7	82	120	44	126	164
45	66.0	104	152	50	154	202
50	73.3	128	187	55	183	242
55	80.7	155	227	61	216	288
60	88.0	185	270	66	251	336
65	95.3	217	316	71	288	387
70	102.6	252	367	77	329	444
75	109.9	289	422	82	371	504
80	117.2	328	480	88	416	568
90	132.0	425	607	99	524	706
100	146.6	514	750	109	623	859

The courts shall further take notice that such tables are the result of experiments made with motor vehicles, unloaded except for the driver, equipped with four-wheel brakes, in good condition, on dry, hard, approximately level stretches of highway free from loose material.

(Code 1950, § 46-212.2; 1956, c. 600; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-195; 1989, c. 727.)