Rain, a worn tyre and a pedestrian at a marked crossing
You are driving a car in Bulgaria on a two-lane road through a town at 55 km/h in steady rain. The legal limit is 50 km/h; you are slightly over because you accelerated to clear a junction. Your front tyres have 2.0 mm of tread in the centre grooves, and the road surface is wet with a thin film of water. A pedestrian steps onto a marked crossing about 45 metres ahead, walking from your right. Your reaction time is about 1 second. On wet asphalt, your car's braking distance from 50 km/h is roughly 25 metres; at 55 km/h it is roughly 30 metres. The pedestrian is still moving and may stop or continue.
1. Using the numbers given, decide whether you can stop before the crossing at your current speed, and explain what you should do first and why.
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At 55 km/h the reaction distance is about 15 metres (55 km/h is roughly 15 m/s, times 1 second). Add the wet braking distance of about 30 metres, and the total stopping distance is about 45 metres. The crossing is about 45 metres ahead, so stopping exactly at the line is the best case with no margin for error, and the pedestrian is still moving. At 50 km/h, reaction is about 14 metres plus 25 metres braking, roughly 39 metres, which leaves a small margin.
So you cannot rely on stopping before the crossing. The first action is to release the accelerator and brake firmly and progressively, not late or gently, because the worn 2.0 mm tyres already lengthen the wet braking distance. You should also be prepared to stop short of the crossing rather than at it, and to sound the horn only if the pedestrian has not seen you and there is real danger. Do not swerve into the opposite lane, which may carry oncoming traffic.
2. Explain how the tyre condition and the rain affect your judgement, and what you should do about the tyres afterwards.
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Tread depth matters most for clearing water. At 2.0 mm in the centre grooves, the tyre is close to the legal minimum in Bulgaria, which is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread. A shallow tread cannot displace water fast enough, so the risk of aquaplaning rises and wet braking distances grow. That is why the given wet braking distance is already long and why you should not assume the dry-road figure applies.
After the journey, the tyres should be replaced or at least checked by a professional. Driving on tyres near the limit in heavy rain is a maintenance and safety failure, and it can also be a legal problem if the tread is below the minimum. Until then, reduce speed in rain, increase the gap to the vehicle ahead, and brake earlier and more gently.
3. The pedestrian hesitates on the crossing. What is the correct priority and what should you avoid doing?
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A pedestrian on a marked crossing has priority. Even if the pedestrian hesitates or steps back, you must be ready to stop and must not pass in front of them or squeeze past. The correct approach is to slow early, keep the car under control, and stop before the crossing line if the pedestrian is on it or about to enter it.
Avoid sounding the horn aggressively, revving, or making eye contact that pressures the pedestrian to hurry. Avoid swerving around the crossing, which is dangerous and may be illegal. If you cannot stop before the line, stop as early as possible and do not enter the crossing while the pedestrian is on it. The hesitation makes the situation less predictable, so treat it as a reason to slow more, not less.