How Much (and how long) it Takes for a Vehicle to Come to a Full Stop

Have you ever considered how different vehicles behave on the road in different situations? Well, the following tables will help you see things from a different angle. Remember, it is not only us on the road. It is also everyone around us, and also the situations we create. Always keep this in mind, as every single situation we may face out there on the road, is affected by the laws of physics that result in the following tables.

Average stopping distance required for each vehicle type to come to a full stop:

Dry Surface:

Vehicle 40 km/h 60 km/h 80 km/h 100 km/h 120 km/h 140 km/h
Sedan 12 m 30 m 55 m 90 m 130 m 180 m
SUV 13 m 32 m 60 m 100 m 145 m 195 m
Pickup truck 14 m 36 m 65 m 110 m 160 m 215 m
Autobus 15 m 38 m 70 m 115 m 170 m 230 m
Cargo truck 16 m 41 m 75 m 125 m 180 m 245 m
Freight Truck (containers) 30 m 76 m 140 m 230 m 335 m 455 m

Wet Surface:

Vehicle 40 km/h 60 km/h 80 km/h 100 km/h 120 km/h 140 km/h
Sedan 18 m 51 m 93 m 154 m 234 m 334 m
SUV 20 m 56 m 103 m 171 m 260 m 371 m
Pickup truck 22 m 63 m 115 m 191 m 292 m 416 m
Autobus 23 m 66 m 121 m 201 m 308 m 440 m
Cargo truck 25 m 71 m 130 m 216 m 331 m 471 m
Freight Truck (containers) 47 m 133 m 241 m 395 m 605 m 866 m

As you can see, the stopping distance for each vehicle is significantly increased when the surface is wet. It's important to drive more cautiously and reduce your speed in these conditions to ensure your safety and the safety of others on the road.

Now, let's look at it from a different perspective: time.  The following tables are exactly as the previous two, but now measuring the time it will take to make a full stop.

Dry Surface:

Vehicle 40 km/h 60 km/h 80 km/h 100 km/h 120 km/h 140 km/h
Sedan 1.5 s 2.3 s 3.3 s 4.8 s 6.5 s 8.8 s
SUV 1.6 s 2.4 s 3.7 s 6.0 s 8.0 s 10.8 s
Pickup truck 1.7 s 2.6 s 3.9 s 6.0 s 8.9 s 12.3 s
Autobus 1.8 s 2.8 s 4.0 s 7.0 s 10.2 s 14.1 s
Cargo truck 1.9 s 2.9 s 4.3 s 7.5 s 10.9 s 15.7 s
Freight Truck (containers) 3.6 s 5.3 s 9.2 s 15.3 s 23.6 s 34.1 s

Wet Surface:

Vehicle 40 km/h 60 km/h 80 km/h 100 km/h 120 km/h 140 km/h
Sedan 2.3 s 3.9 s 5.5 s 8.0 s 12.0 s 17.1 s
SUV 2.5 s 4.1 s 6.0 s 9.7 s 14.3 s 20.3 s
Pickup truck 2.7 s 4.5 s 6.5 s 10.8 s 16.5 s 23.6 s
Autobus 2.9 s 4.9 s 7.1 s 12.0 s 18.5 s 26.4 s
Cargo truck 3.1 s 5.1 s 7.4 s 13.0 s 19.9 s 28.4 s
Freight Truck (containers) 5.7 s 10.1 s 18.3 s 30.0 s 46.2 s 67.2 s

What a different POV, right? As you can see, a freight truck speeding at about 140 km/h on top of wet surface roads can be breaking for more than one minute to stop!

Drive safe out there!!!

About the author

Jorge Diaz is a passionate car lover, winter driver & Software Engineer. For the last 10 years, he has built Online Solutions used by more than 5,000 companies across the globe. He founded LeaseCosts in 2016 with the purpose of simplifying and helping Canadians to better understand the complex market of car leasing in Canada. You can connect with him at Leantrepreneurship.com.

Jorge is also the author of Car Leasing Done Right: A Canadian Guide for Understanding & Optimizing Vehicle Leasing Costs, released on Nov. 5th, 2021. It is available at Amazon.ca