A vehicle's stopping distance is equal to:

• A. Perception distance
• B. Reaction distance
• C. Perception distance, reaction distance, and braking distance
• D. Braking distance

Answer: (C)

Stopping distance is the total distance a vehicle travels from the moment you first notice a hazard until you come to a complete stop. It includes three parts: perception distance (the distance traveled from noticing the hazard to recognizing you must stop), reaction distance (the distance the car covers during your reaction time before braking), and braking distance (the distance traveled after braking begins until the vehicle stops). The full stopping distance is the sum of all three components. Each part alone covers only a portion of the journey, so only combining perception, reaction, and braking distances gives the complete stopping distance.