Braking distances accepted by courts

Can anyone point me to some data that will be accepted in Ontario Traffic Court regarding braking/stopping distances. It would be nice if it was something downloadable. I'm refuting a ticket where the officer claims I should have been able to stop a car going 50 km/h in 10 to 15 feet.

If physics are involved ask the officer for his calculations and the braking coefficient of your car, the effect of gravity at the time and the expect life of your brake pads and rotors, the coefficient of your tires on the driving surface....etc.... he'll get the point.

Basically every time you stop your car it is different, not by much but it is.

15ft= 5 meters

50 km/h = 13.89 m/s

You'd have to stop you car in 4 tenths of a second. Those would be good brakes, really good brakes.

50km/hr + dry pavement = 14.05m to stop.

http://www.forensicdynamics.com/stopdistcalc

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Hi Peabody

Mr. Peabody wrote:

I'm refuting a ticket where the officer claims I should have been able to stop a car going 50 km/h in 10 to 15 feet.

Is it a Careless Driving ticket?

If there was a motor vehicle collision, it sounds like following too closely.

The table in section 3 of the HTA, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 587, indicates that at 20 miles/hour (32.18 k/h), a vehicle having a seating capacity for less than 10 persons, on a dry, smooth, hard asphalt or other paved surface free from loose material and having not more than 1 per cent gradient, should stop within a distance of 25 feet (7.62 meters).

I do not know why they used the Imperial and not the Metric system.

I guess one could calculate the braking distances for different speeds.

Cheers.

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Nothing on the internet will help you. Its all hearsay. Now unless you're an expert in the field and have specialized training you can't really testify either. Even still you can say what you want and put forth a good argument but the truth is with the amount of variables involved in vehicle braking inculding but not limited to condition of the vehicle, condition of the brakes, coefficient of friction of asphalt, tire condition driver skill etc etc. its a futile argument imo.

Did the officer travel over the exact same path as you (was he following you)? He would have to stand up and answer under oath to your question about road condition. Was there sand/dirt on the road, perhaps moisture from various sources?

The officer will likely provide testimony based on his training regarding clean, dry pavement (as per Bear, above). You don't have to present evidence to the contrary. Just get him to admit he did not investigate the conditions of the lane you were in. If he didn't, your judgment as to braking ability should prevail.

Nothing's guaranteed.

Just my opinion.

Sean