All guides
Emergency braking: how to brake correctly when it counts
1 min read · Updated on October 17, 2026
An emergency stop has to be quick – and with full force. Many people brake too timidly when it matters.
Vereinfachte Erklärung zum Lernen – keine Rechtsberatung. Verbindlich ist die Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (StVO).
Braking correctly
Press the brake with full force and hold it down. Modern cars have ABS – so the car stays steerable even under full braking.
Reaction time
It takes about a second before you react. At 50 km/h the car travels around 14 metres in that time. That’s why driving with foresight is so important.
Train in the game
Driving School Germany has its own emergency braking training and a reaction test – in easy, medium and hard.
Keep going
More guides
- Right before left – simply explainedWhen the right-before-left rule applies, when it doesn’t – and how to use it safely at junctions.
- Driving roundabouts correctly: indicating, priority, exitingWho has priority in a roundabout, when do you indicate and how do you exit safely?
- Right of way in Germany – all rules at a glanceFrom traffic lights to signs to right before left: the order in which right-of-way rules apply.