Stopping sight distance

Stopping sight distance is one of several types of sight distance used in road design. It is a near worst-case distance a vehicle driver needs to be able to see in order have room to stop before colliding with something in the roadway, such as a pedestrian in a crosswalk, a stopped vehicle, or road debris. Insufficient sight distance can adversely affect the safety or operations of a roadway or intersection. Stopping sight distance is one of several types of sight distance used in road design. It is a near worst-case distance a vehicle driver needs to be able to see in order have room to stop before colliding with something in the roadway, such as a pedestrian in a crosswalk, a stopped vehicle, or road debris. Insufficient sight distance can adversely affect the safety or operations of a roadway or intersection. Stopping sight distance is the distance traveled during the two phases of stopping a vehicle: perception-reaction time (PRT), and maneuver time (MT). Perception-reaction time is the time it takes for a road user to realize that a reaction is needed due to a road condition, decide what maneuver is appropriate (in this case, stopping the vehicle), and start the maneuver (taking the foot off the accelerator and depressing the brake pedal). Maneuver time is the time it takes to complete the maneuver (decelerating and coming to a stop). The distance driven during perception-reaction time and maneuver time is the sight distance needed. The design standards of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) allow 1.5 seconds for perception time and 1.0 second for reaction time.