Reaction timer: secondary schools educational resource

Reaction times needed to bring a vehicle to a complete stop vary enormously depending on the vehicle, its speed, and the weather conditions.

Required reaction times in different circumstances

The road safety Reaction Timers are an interactive, educational resource which can be borrowed by Secondary Schools and supports learning outcomes linked to Curriculum for Excellence. The Reaction Timers allow pupils the opportunity to investigate:

  • Their reaction time and its effect on stopping distance (thinking distance)
  • The effect on their reaction time when using mobile phones, changing music, using a sat nav etc
  • The effect of different weather conditions (dry, wet, icy)
  • The effect of different speeds (20, 30, 40, 50, 60mph)

Download documents from our Reaction Timer document suite, all designed to be used with our Senior Phase activities.

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