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Stopping time and distance Knowing how much time and distance it takes to apply your brakes to completely stop your vehicle can help avoid errors in judgement and help avoid a collision. Three factors determine the time and distance it takes to stop. Perception time: Perception time is how long it takes to recognize a situation and understand that you need to stop. This can take about three-quarters of a second. Drivers with less experience often take longer to realize a danger exists. Perception distance is how far a vehicle travels during this time.Text extracted from the PDF for reference and may contain layout artefacts. The official PDF is authoritative.
Open official handbook at page 51 ↗Source: Driver's Guide: cars and light trucks, Spring 2026. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Alberta.