What does "braking distance" refer to?

Braking distance specifically refers to the distance a vehicle travels after the brakes have been applied until the vehicle comes to a complete stop. This encompasses various factors such as vehicle speed, road conditions, tire conditions, and the driver's reaction time. Understanding braking distance is crucial for safe driving, as it helps drivers anticipate how far they need to be from potential hazards or how much space is required to bring their vehicle to a halt in different driving conditions.

The other options describe different concepts related to vehicle motion, but do not accurately capture the definition of braking distance. For instance, the distance before braking is known as reaction distance, while the distance between vehicles describes the following distance necessary for safe driving but is not related to braking itself.