How long does it take to drive 18 kilometers?
3 Answers
18 kilometers of driving takes approximately 0.46 hours. There are 3 key automatic transmission driving techniques: At red lights: Depending on driving habits, temporarily stop by pressing the brake and keeping the gear in D, because the torque converter in the transmission has a reaction wheel with a one-way clutch that amplifies the torque from the engine crankshaft. It does not rotate at engine idle and only engages when engine speed increases; When starting: Press the brake pedal before shifting the gear lever from P or N to a driving gear. Release the brake pedal, and the vehicle will slowly move. The reason for pressing the brake in advance is to ensure the safety of the driver and the vehicle; When starting the engine: The engine can only be started when the gear lever is in position P or N. If the gear lever is in a driving position such as D or R, the engine cannot be started.
For someone who frequently commutes by car in the city, an 18-kilometer distance isn’t really considered long, usually taking just 20 to 30 minutes. But honestly, the time can vary quite a bit: during morning rush hour with heavy traffic or multiple traffic lights, it might drag on to 40 minutes; on weekends with smoother roads, speeds can reach around 60 km/h, theoretically covering 18 km in 18 minutes, but in reality, delays at intersections add up, so it’s always wise to leave some buffer time. What frustrates me the most are routes with many urban intersections, where average speeds drop to around 40 km/h, doubling the travel time. My advice is to check real-time traffic on a navigation app before driving and leave 10 minutes earlier to be safe, especially on rainy days when slippery roads make timing even harder to predict.
I remember when I first started learning to drive, an 18-kilometer trip felt like a long journey. New drivers always drive cautiously, maintaining a speed of 50 km/h just in case, so it usually takes about 25 minutes. When unfamiliar with the road, stopping and starting, plus waiting at red lights, can sometimes stretch it to 30 minutes. Now that I'm used to it, I still adhere to safe driving principles: a simple calculation shows that at a steady speed, you cover about 700 meters per minute, so 18 kilometers roughly corresponds to around 25 minutes. The key is not to rush, especially during peak hours when it's slower—plan ahead to avoid stress. Also, weather has a big impact; with poor visibility in rain or fog, driving slower naturally takes longer.
