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2003 SESSION
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 46.2-880 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 46.2-880. Tables of speed and stopping distances.
All courts shall take notice of the following tables of speed and stopping distances of motor vehicles, which shall not raise a presumption, in actions in which inquiry thereon is pertinent to the issues:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPEED IN AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCES TOTAL STOPPING DISTANCES: Avg Driver DRIVER AND Truck Brakes Perception- Miles Feet Automobile Brakes on Reaction Time Per Per Brakes All Wheels (1.5 Seconds) Automobiles Trucks Hour Second (In Feet) (In Feet) (In Feet) (In Feet) (In Feet) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 14.7 5 6 22 27 28 15 22.0 11 14 33 44 47 20 29.3 19 25 44 63 69 25 36.7 30 40 55 85 95 30 44.0 43 57 66 109 123 35 51.3 58 78 77 135 155 40 58.7 76 102 88 164 190 45 66.0 96 129 99 195 228 50 73.3 119 159 110 229 269 55 80.7 144 192 121 265 313 60 88.0 171 229 132 303 361 65 95.3 201 268 143 344 411 70 102.7 233 311 154 387 465 75 110.0 268 357 165 433 522 80 117.3 305 406 176 481 582 85 124.7 344 459 187 531 646 90 132.0 386 514 198 584 712 95 139.3 430 573 209 639 782 100 146.7 476 635 220 696 855
The courts shall further take notice that such tables are the result of
experiments made with motor vehicles, unloaded except for the driver, equipped with
four-wheel brakes, in good condition, on dry, hard, approximately level
stretches of highway free from loose material.
The courts shall further take notice that the above table has been constructed, using scientific reasoning, to provide factfinders with an average baseline for motor vehicle stopping distances: (1) for a vehicle in good condition and (2) on a level, dry stretch of highway, free from loose material.
Deviations from these circumstances do not negate the usefulness of the table,
but rather call for additional site-specific examination and/or explanation.
Site-specific research may be utilized under any circumstances.