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How does traveling at higher speeds affect your CMV's total stopping distance?

A. It increases your braking distance.
B. It decreases your reaction distance.
C. It increases your brake lag distance.
D. All of the above

User Yu Chia Wu
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Higher speeds lead to increased braking distance and reaction distance, which means the vehicle's total stopping distance is greater. However, brake lag distance is not affected by speed. Safety features like crumple zones in cars protect passengers by extending the time of impact, not by changing momentum.

Step-by-step explanation:

Traveling at higher speeds affects your Commercial Motor Vehicle's (CMV) total stopping distance by increasing the distance it takes to come to a complete stop. When traveling at higher speeds, the braking distance increases significantly because the energy that needs to be dissipated by the brakes is much higher. Moreover, the reaction distance—the distance your vehicle covers from the moment you perceive a hazard until you begin to physically apply the brakes—also increases because you're covering more ground during your reaction time. However, brake lag distance is not directly related to the speed but rather the time it takes for the brakes to engage after the pedal has been applied. Therefore, the correct answer is A. It increases your braking distance.

When discussing the safety features of modern cars, such as crumple zones, they help protect passengers by absorbing kinetic energy and extending the time over which the impact occurs, thus reducing the force experienced by the passengers. The correct answer here is A. It reduces injury to the passengers by increasing the time of impact.

User Tetranz
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