Stopping distance is calculated as: Stopping Distance = Reaction Time Distance + Braking Distance
Braking distance is the distance traveled after you apply the brakes. It depends on two factors: speed and drag.
- The drag factor is a measure of the friction between the snowmobile’s track and the surface it travels over.
- Deep, powdery snow stops snowmobiles more quickly because it creates more drag than shallower snow.
- Glare ice has less drag than deep snow, so snowmobiles travel much farther after braking.
The graph gives stopping distances at various speeds. Note, however, that your stopping distance could be different depending on your speed, the surface conditions, the weather, and the snowmobile track’s length and paddle depth, and on whether or not your track is studded. Remember that snowmobile brakes are designed to slow or stop the track of a snowmobile.