Sunday Times Teaser 2508 – No Title

by Graham Smithers

Published October 17 2010 (link)

An Austin pootles along a country lane at 30mph; behind are a Bentley doing 40 and a Cortina doing 50. The Bentley and the Cortina brake simultaneously, decelerating at constant rates, while the Austin carries on at the same speed. The Bentley just avoids hitting the rear of the Austin; the Cortina just avoids a collision with the Bentley. The Bentley and the Cortina continue to decelerate at the same rates, and stop with a 45yd gap between them.

What was the gap between the Bentley and the Cortina at the moment they started to brake?