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Road safety charity Brake has called on the UK Government to update stopping distances in its next revision of the Highway Code.
According to Brake, drivers' thinking time has been underestimated by the Highway Code.
The charity asked Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to provide information on the amount of time it takes for car drivers to perceive, recognise and react to emergency situations.
TRL found that the average thinking time is 1.5 seconds - double the 0.67 seconds set out in the Highway Code.
Brake said this means the average stopping distance is lengthened by 11m at 30mph and 15m at 40mph compared with the distances quoted in the Highway Code ? rising to a 25m difference at 70mph.
"These figures suggest stopping distances taught to new drivers in the Highway Code fall woefully short," said Jason Wakeford, a spokesman for Brake. "Even though car braking technology has improved in recent years, the majority of the overall stopping distance at most speeds is actually made up of the time taken to perceive the hazard and react."
He added: "The research shows that average thinking time is more than double that set out in the Highway Code. A true understanding of how long it takes to stop a car in an emergency is one of the most important lessons for new drivers. Understanding true average thinking time reminds all drivers how far their car will travel before they begin to brake ? as well as highlighting how any distraction in the car which extends this time, like using a mobile phone, could prove fatal."
Rod Dennis, a spokesman at the RAC, said: "These findings from Brake and TRL are striking and should be taken seriously. From time to time, new evidence will come to light that means it is necessary to update the Highway Code and perhaps this is one such instance."
He added: "While the ability for cars to be able to brake more quickly has improved, our reaction times clearly haven't. And arguably, our reaction times might even have got worse due to all the distractions that have made their way into the car environment - none more so than the smartphone that constantly demands our attention."
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