Speed isn’t just a number on the dial — it’s physics in motion. The same laws that launch rockets decide whether you stop in time for a red light or a child chasing a ball.Most driving schools teach rules. At Rhodes Driving Schools, we teach why the rules exist — using simple science that makes every new driver dramatically safer and smoother.Here’s the physics every driver should know (explained so clearly even a 15-year-old gets it).1. Acceleration: Why “Instant” Power Can Bite YouForce = mass × acceleration
A 1,500 kg car accelerating at just 0.3g (easy in most modern cars) creates over 4,400 Newtons of force — enough to throw unsecured objects (and passengers) forward hard.Real-world lesson we teach:
Smooth = 10–20% throttle for the first 2 seconds. Anything more and you’re fighting physics instead of using it.2. Kinetic Energy: The Real Cost of SpeedKinetic energy increases with the square of speed.
Double your speed (50 → 100 km/h) = 4× more energy to dissipate when you brake.That’s why stopping distance from 100 km/h is not twice as long as from 50 km/h — it’s over four times longer on dry pavement.We show students the math on a whiteboard, then prove it on our closed course.3. Braking Distance vs. Reaction DistanceAt 90 km/h you travel 25 metres per second.
Average reaction time = 1.5 seconds → 37.5 metres before your foot even touches the brake.
Add real braking distance and you’re looking at 100+ metres total.Our instructors use cones and a radar gun so students feel the difference between 80 and 100 km/h stops.4. Friction and the “Tire Grip Pie”You only have 100% of tire grip to split between:
We draw the grip pie on the dashboard with a dry-erase marker during every lesson.5. Weight Transfer: Your Car’s Built-In SeesawBrake hard → weight pitches forward → front tires grip more, rear less
Accelerate hard → weight shifts back → front tires lose grip Smooth drivers use weight transfer like a pro skier — never fight it.6. The Roller-Coaster Demonstration (Students Never Forget This)We take students (safely) up and down a steep hill at exactly 50 km/h:
A 1,500 kg car accelerating at just 0.3g (easy in most modern cars) creates over 4,400 Newtons of force — enough to throw unsecured objects (and passengers) forward hard.Real-world lesson we teach:
Smooth = 10–20% throttle for the first 2 seconds. Anything more and you’re fighting physics instead of using it.2. Kinetic Energy: The Real Cost of SpeedKinetic energy increases with the square of speed.
Double your speed (50 → 100 km/h) = 4× more energy to dissipate when you brake.That’s why stopping distance from 100 km/h is not twice as long as from 50 km/h — it’s over four times longer on dry pavement.We show students the math on a whiteboard, then prove it on our closed course.3. Braking Distance vs. Reaction DistanceAt 90 km/h you travel 25 metres per second.
Average reaction time = 1.5 seconds → 37.5 metres before your foot even touches the brake.
Add real braking distance and you’re looking at 100+ metres total.Our instructors use cones and a radar gun so students feel the difference between 80 and 100 km/h stops.4. Friction and the “Tire Grip Pie”You only have 100% of tire grip to split between:
- Accelerating
- Braking
- Turning
We draw the grip pie on the dashboard with a dry-erase marker during every lesson.5. Weight Transfer: Your Car’s Built-In SeesawBrake hard → weight pitches forward → front tires grip more, rear less
Accelerate hard → weight shifts back → front tires lose grip Smooth drivers use weight transfer like a pro skier — never fight it.6. The Roller-Coaster Demonstration (Students Never Forget This)We take students (safely) up and down a steep hill at exactly 50 km/h:
- Crest the hill while accelerating → car feels light, steering vague
- Crest while braking → front dives, steering suddenly heavy