Why Time, Speed and Space Matter – Part 1:

How Far Do You Travel in Five Seconds?

Five seconds doesn’t sound like much. The time it takes to check a message, glance at a friend, or notice something on the roadside.

But in a moving car, those five seconds carry you further than most people realise. From half a pitch at East End Park to a stretch up Saline Hill, the distances are hard to picture until you put them into familiar places.

20 mph

In five seconds you’ll travel about 45 metres — half a football pitch at East End Park in Dunfermline. But your Highway Code stopping distance is just 12 metres. By the time you’ve looked up, most of the space you’d need has already gone.

30 mph

In five seconds you’ll cover 67 metres — the length of Dollar Academy’s rugby pitch. But your stopping distance is only 23 metres. Once you’ve spotted the hazard, almost all of that pitch is already behind you.

40 mph

In five seconds you’ll travel 89 metres — almost the full span of the first section of Kincardine Bridge. But your stopping distance is 36 metres. You’ve already gone twice that before you’ve even braked.

50 mph

In five seconds you’ll travel 112 metres — the walk from the gates of Pittencrieff Park to the Pavilion. But your stopping distance is just 53 metres. Barely half that walk is left to stop in.

60 mph

In five seconds you’ll travel 134 metres — a good stretch up Saline Hill, about a third of the climb. But your stopping distance is 73 metres. Less than half the hill is left to bring the car to a halt.

70 mph

In five seconds you’ll travel 157 metres — the Wallace Monument, stacked twice. But your stopping distance is 96 metres. That’s only the last third of the Monument left to stop in. Would you make it?

All figures are approximate, based on the UK Highway Code and local landmarks, and are intended as illustrations only.