Stopping Distance – Tyres Play a Starring Role

When you need to stop, you need to do so quickly and safely regardless of the situation or type of road you're driving on. Not everyone realises how important tyres are to stopping distances and effective braking. So the Kwik Fit tyre team thought it best to give the topic the attention it deserves. Read on to find out more about the role your tyres play in helping you stop.

According to the Highway Code, what we refer to as “stopping distance” actually consists of two phases. First, there’s “thinking distance” – the time it takes for the driver to react. And second comes “braking distance” – how far the car travels until it stops after the brakes have been applied. Braking distances can double when it’s wet. Yes, that’s right, double. 

Pioneered by engineers at Continental Tyres in 1904, tyre treads – the grooves on the tyre – were designed to expel road-surface water, so that the tyres rubber can grip the road. While new tyres are very effective at this, worn tyres are not.

Under-inflated tyres make your car more difficult to control because the tyres can’t get a proper grip on the road surface. When tyres have too much air in them, the part of the tyre that makes contact with the road is reduced which results in less grip. Less grip means it takes longer to stop, whatever the weather. 

Wherever you drive, you always need to be prepared to stop.

In towns and cities, you'll need to be alert to pedestrians, particularly children who can step out without warning. In the countryside, it could be an oncoming car on a narrow lane. On the motorway a sudden build-up of traffic might mean you’re suddenly braking to avoid coming into contact with the cars ahead. In all of these situations, your ability to stop quickly can prevent accidents and save lives, including your own.

Why pay extra for premium tyres? It’s a question we’re often asked at Kwik Fit, and we understand why. Alongside evidence that premium tyres are in fact less expensive over time than budget tyres comes another, much more important answer. If you value your safety and that of the people around you, it’s clear that premium tyres are the correct choice.

Your ability to react quickly, your brakes and the tyres you purchase are the three crucial factors in being able to stop quickly and safely. And the truth is that, due to their lower quality rubber composition, budget tyres just aren’t as effective at gripping the road, resulting in a significantly longer stopping time and distance, especially in wet conditions.