What does the phrase 'thinking distance' mean?
- A The distance a vehicle travels from the moment the driver recognises the need to brake, until the vehicle stops
- B The distance a vehicle travels from the moment the driver recognises the need to brake, until they begin braking
- C The distance a vehicle travels from the moment the driver begins to brake, until the vehicle stops
- D The distance a vehicle travels from the moment the driver thinks about stopping, until the vehicle stops
Why this is the answer
The thinking distance is the distance that the vehicle travels from the moment the driver realises there's a need to brake, until they actually begin to apply the brakes. This reaction time can increase if a driver is tired or unwell.
Why the other answers don't fit
- A
- The distance a vehicle travels from the moment the driver recognises the need to brake, until the vehicle stops — That is the overall stopping distance, which is thinking plus braking together.
- C
- The distance a vehicle travels from the moment the driver begins to brake, until the vehicle stops — That is the braking distance, the second half of the total.
- D
- The distance a vehicle travels from the moment the driver thinks about stopping, until the vehicle stops — Thinking distance starts when the need is recognised, not when a thought begins.
Where this comes from
- Driving: the essential skills — section 7
- The Highway Code — rule 126
Rule numbers link to The Highway Code on gov.uk.
Where this question comes from
The question, its options and the explanation are reproduced word for word from the DVSA revision question bank under licence. The licence requires them to appear unaltered, so we cannot reword them and neither can anyone else — that is why you will meet the same wording on other sites. Everything else on this page is written by Theory Hub: the explanation of why each wrong answer is wrong, the topic guide and the revision notes.
Asked in: Driving Instructor (ADI Part 1)
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