Final answer:
The proper distance for parallel parking is about one and a half times the length of your car. For crossing roads, ensure you can walk further than the width of a car before it reaches you. Stopping distances for cars vary based on reaction times and road conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing parallel parking, it is essential to consider the dimensions of the parking space and the size of your vehicle. Assuming a standard car length of 3.5 meters, an appropriate distance for parallel parking would typically be a space that is roughly one and a half times the length of your car, which would provide sufficient room for maneuvering. Importantly, when it comes to safety and crossing the road, if a car is traveling at 60 km/hr (16.67 m/s), and given a car length of 3.5 m, you should remain on the sidewalk until you can confidently walk at least 4 meters, which is 2 meters more than the width of the car, before that car reaches your starting point. As for reaction times and braking on different road conditions, total stopping distance is a function of driver reaction time and the vehicle's braking capability. As an example involving a car initially traveling at 30.0 m/s, with a reaction time of 0.500 s and different pavement conditions, the calculations illustrated in Figure 2.34 show that the distance needed to stop a car varies significantly.