Day 17 Advent Calendar: Timing a Winter Walk Using Speed, Distance and Time

Walking off a large Christmas meal is almost a British tradition, and timing a walk is a Skill that Counts. Using the DST Triangle makes it a little easier.

Planning a winter walk means knowing how long it will take before daylight fades.

Today we'll use distance, speed and time to estimate a walking journey accurately.

You plan a walk that is 4.5 miles long.

Your average walking speed is 3 miles per hour.

Draw a copy of the DST Triangle above, and add the information you have to the Triangle to help work through the steps below.

Step 1: Use the speed, distance and time formula

Time = distance ÷ speed

If you need any resources to build this skill, drop me an email or leave a comment for FREE RESOURCES ON SPEED, DISTANCE AND TIME.

Step 2: 

Divide the distance by the speed

4.5 ÷ 3 = 1.5 hours

Step 3: 

Convert hours into minutes

0.5 of an hour = 30 minutes

Total walking time = 1 hour 30 minutes

If you need any resources to build this skill, drop me an email or leave a comment for FREE RESOURCES ON SPEED, DISTANCE AND TIME.

Step 4: 

Sense check the answer

At 3 miles per hour, 3 miles takes 1 hour.

An extra 1.5 miles, taking 30 minutes, makes sense.

Skills that Count Check

Always divide distance by speed.

Convert decimal hours into minutes.

Check your answer using estimation.

Ask yourself, "Does my answer make sense?"

The Skills that Count

Understanding speed, distance and time helps you plan journeys safely, manage daylight hours and make confident decisions during winter activities.

Check a regular journey to see if this method works for you and share your results in the comments.