What is a primary factor that increases your braking distance?

The primary factor that increases your braking distance is higher speed. When a vehicle is traveling at a greater speed, the force required to stop the vehicle also increases significantly. This is due to the physics of motion; specifically, the kinetic energy of the vehicle is directly proportional to the square of its speed. Therefore, if you double the speed, the kinetic energy increases by a factor of four, which means it takes much longer to come to a complete stop. Additionally, the effectiveness of the brakes and road conditions may impact stopping distance, but fundamentally, the higher the speed, the greater the distance required to safely stop the vehicle.

Other factors, like increased weight of the vehicle and road type, can influence braking distance as well, yet they are secondary to the effect that speed has. Fuel efficiency, meanwhile, is not directly related to braking distance, as it pertains more to how effectively a vehicle uses fuel rather than its stopping capability.