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How do I stop a car smoothly?

I’m a new driver and I’m really struggling with getting the car to stop smoothly when approaching a stop sign or red light. It seems like no matter what I do, the car jolts whenever I touch the pedal—I’m getting pretty discouraged. How do you properly brake a car?

avatar
Chloe Jenkins · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Every driver out there remembers how tricky it was to get the hang of coming to a smooth stop. Don’t worry—you’ll get better!
To stop the car smoothly, ease on the brake slowly. Ideally, you want to minimize the amount of pressure needed to get the car to stop. Keep in mind that you’ll have to begin braking sooner to do so slowly and still stop in time.
You may not even notice it, but you’re likely applying more pressure on the brake just before the stop sign or red light. Avoiding this takes practice and will happen naturally as you become more comfortable driving. So keep at it!
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