You are travelling at 40 km/h. The braking distance for evasive braking is approximately 8 metres. How long is the braking distance at 50 km/h given otherwise the same conditions?

The braking distance increases with the square of the speed. This means if you increase your speed from 40 km/h to 50 km/h, the braking distance grows by (50/40)² = (1.25)² = 1.56 times. Since the braking distance at 40 km/h is 8 meters, at 50 km/h it becomes approximately 8 meters × 1.56 = 12.5 meters. This demonstrates why higher speeds require significantly longer distances to stop safely. Understanding this helps you adjust your speed and following distance appropriately.