The reaction time refers to how fast a person himself or herself reacts, so the time from one has spotted danger until he or she reacts to it, this time is normally around 1 second. The reaction distance is the distance you travel from the exact moment you spotted a danger until you have started to slow down or act in another other way, such as steering aside to avoid collision. The reaction distance is calculated by removing the 0 from the speed, then multiply with the reaction time, and then multiple by 3. So in this case the reaction distance would be; 8 x 1.5 x 3 = 36 The reaction distance is affected by factors such as the driver’s reaction time, the speed you run in, one’s experience and age.