You are travelling at 50 km/h and brake normally. What is the braking distance according to the rule of thumb?

With the German rule of thumb, the normal braking distance is calculated as: (speed ÷ 10) × (speed ÷ 10).

At 50 km/h: 50 ÷ 10 = 5, and 5 × 5 = 25 m. That’s why 25 m is correct.

Important for similar questions: this value is only the braking distance after you start braking. The full stopping distance is longer because you must add the reaction distance (rule of thumb: speed ÷ 10 × 3). At 50 km/h that’s about 15 m, so stopping distance would be about 25 m + 15 m = 40 m.

Also remember: if you do an emergency stop (“Gefahrenbremsung”), the braking distance is roughly halved compared to normal braking (at 50 km/h: about 12.5 m).