Cornering Basics Part 5 - Controlling the Car

[Dr Jekyll]

RobM77 said:

- for example a really good driver may be capable of taking a corner at 104mph, whereas a not so good driver might find he can't go quicker than 90mph without the car sliding around and making him even slower. If you're on the public road taking that corner in the same car at a more sedate 60mph, the first driver has a much bigger margin of safety than the second driver.

But can the 'really good' (in terms of car control) driver really stop in a significantly shorter distance than the not so good driver?

[Toltec]

Dr Jekyll said:

But can the 'really good' (in terms of car control) driver really stop in a significantly shorter distance than the not so good driver?

It is quite possible given they are more likely to have the control to maximise grip and braking effort, not to mention being able to change direction to avoid a hazard without losing control.

The margin is going to be much smaller in modern cars with the best stability systems. Even then the car may be starting from a dynamically better position and so be able to stop just a little shorter.