A 3-minute lesson from the Nevada course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Stopping takes more room than most drivers think. Before your foot touches the brake you've already traveled a long way while noticing and reacting — and braking distance grows much faster than your speed.
Know the rule
The rear-end collision is the number one crash type on Nevada's streets and highways.
The distance covered while you see and understand the need to stop (perception), your brain signals your foot (reaction), and your foot moves to the brake pedal.
On wet highways stopping distances may be more than double those on dry pavement. Take special care in the first rain of a season, when oil and water mix on the pavement.
At 55 mph on dry pavement, you'll travel about 202 feet before you even start braking and 370 feet in all. If traffic stops suddenly ahead, only the space you've left will keep you out of a rear-end crash.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
What is the number one crash type on Nevada's streets and highways?
Head-on collisions
Rollovers
Rear-end collisions
Side-impact collisions
Answer: Rear-end collisions
The rear-end collision is the number one crash type on Nevada's streets and highways.