Final answer:
To safely pass another vehicle, consider the speed limit, your speed, and environmental conditions. If you're in a city with a 60 km/h limit, 28 meters may be insufficient to safely cross. Contesting a speeding ticket involves analyzing skid length, friction, and speed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The minimal amount of room you need to safely pass another vehicle depends on various factors such as your relative speeds, road conditions, and the length of the vehicle you're passing. For instance, when you are driving in towns and cities where the speed limit is 60 km/h, the distance required to cross the road safely would need to be more than the width of a car plus an additional 2 meters, making a total of 4 meters. If you see a car that is 28 meters away, which is the equivalent of 8 car-lengths of an average car that measures 3.5 meters in length, it may not be safe to walk across the road because the car, at the given speed limit, would cover this distance very quickly.
When considering the scenario of needing to quickly stop your car, such as when debris falls onto the road, and the distance of a skid mark is 30.5 meters, the calculation of whether you were speeding involves both the coefficient of friction (0.55 in this case) and the speed of your vehicle. Making such calculations can be crucial if you are deciding whether to contest a speeding ticket in court.