Stopping distance, headlights, night and bad weather

Key points

1. At 50 mph, you travel about 55 feet while reacting and about 160 more feet after braking.

   Source: Handbook p. 44

   “At 50 mph, your vehicle will go another 55 feet in the three-quarters of a second it takes to react. Once you hit the brakes, you may go another 160 feet or more before you stop.”
   Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 44

2. At 60 mph, stopping takes about 292 feet, almost a football field.

   Source: Handbook p. 44

   “At 60 mph, it takes about 292 feet (almost a whole football field) to react to a hazard, step on the brake, and safely stop.”
   Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 44

3. Use headlights when you cannot clearly see people or vehicles 500 feet ahead, and whenever you use your wipers.

   Source: Handbook p. 45

   “When you cannot clearly see people or vehicles 500 feet ahead due to insufficient light or weather conditions • Whenever you use your windshield wipers (daytime running lights are not sufficient)”
   Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 45

4. High beams let you see about 350 feet; low beams about 100 feet.

   Source: Handbook p. 46

   “High beam headlights normally let you see about 350 feet ahead. Low beam headlights normally let you see about 100 feet ahead.”
   Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 46

5. Dim to low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or within 200 feet of a vehicle ahead.

   Source: Handbook p. 46

   “within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or within 200 feet of a vehicle traveling ahead of you.”
   Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 46

6. Drowsy driving killed 633 people in 2020.

   Source: Handbook p. 46

   “633 people died in 2020 from drowsy driving related crashes”
   Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 46

7. Rain and wet roads make it harder to start, stop and turn, and hard rain, fog and mist make it harder to see.

   Source: Handbook p. 47

   “Rain and wet roads make it harder to start, stop, and turn. Hard rain, fog, and mist can also make it more difficult to see.”
   Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 47

8. If you hydroplane, you are driving too fast; ease off the gas and never brake or turn suddenly.

   Source: Handbook p. 47

   “If your vehicle starts to hydroplane, you’re driving too fast. Slowly step off the gas pedal. Never hit the brakes or turn suddenly.”
   Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 47

9. In fog, use low beams to reduce glare.

   Source: Handbook p. 47

   “In fog, use your low beam headlights to reduce glare.”
   Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 47

10. Bridges and overpasses freeze before the rest of the road.

    Source: Handbook p. 48

    “Bridges and highway overpasses freeze before the rest of the road and can be very slippery.”
    Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 48

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Massachusetts practice test

1. 1. What total stopping distance does the Massachusetts manual give at 60 mph on dry, level road?

   1. About 100 feet
   2. About 292 feet, almost a whole football field
   3. About 30 feet
   4. About 1,000 feet
   Show answer

   About 292 feet, almost a whole football field. If your brakes and tires are working and the road is dry and level, at 60 mph it takes about 292 feet to react to a hazard, step on the brake and safely stop, almost a whole football field. At 50 mph the total is about 215 feet, 55 feet of reaction distance plus 160 feet of braking, and at just 30 mph it is about 104 feet. The manual adds that these numbers are for education only and that actual distances grow on wet, slippery or uneven pavement, going downhill, or in bigger, heavier vehicles.

2. 2. In heavy rain or fog in Massachusetts, what does the manual say about visibility?

   1. Visibility is unaffected if headlights are on
   2. Hard rain, fog, and mist can make it more difficult to see
   3. Fog improves contrast at night
   4. Only snow reduces visibility
   Show answer

   Hard rain, fog, and mist can make it more difficult to see. The manual pairs traction and vision when it talks about bad weather: rain and wet roads make it harder to start, stop and turn, and hard rain, fog and mist make it harder to see. Headlights help others see you but do not restore your view, fog scatters light and worsens contrast, and snow is only one of several conditions that blind you. Slow to a speed that lets you stop within what you can see, and use low beams in fog.

3. 3. When must Massachusetts drivers use their headlights and taillights because of the weather?

   1. Only after sunset
   2. Only in snow
   3. Whenever they use their windshield wipers
   4. Only when visibility drops below 100 feet
   Show answer

   Whenever they use their windshield wipers. Massachusetts ties lights to wipers: if the weather makes you run the wipers, the law requires headlights and taillights as well. That covers rain, mist, sleet and snow, not snow alone, and it applies in daylight, not only after sunset. There is no visibility measurement to make; the wiper switch is the trigger. Lights in the rain are less about seeing than about being seen by drivers looking through a wet windshield.

Source: the Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Chapter 2: Safety First. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.