Faulty Brakes Could Cause Columbia Truck Crashes

In Anderson, Rock Hill, Sumter, Georgetown and surrounding areas, South Carolina truckers are expected to check their vehicles before and after going out on a trip to make sure there are no problems. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict requirements for ongoing truck maintenance to identify when issues arise that could jeopardize safety. One of the most serious problems for which truckers should check is an air brake issue.

 

A truck accident lawyer knows that air brakes can cause trouble when not properly maintained. Ultimately, the brakes can become less effective and tougher for trucks to stop quickly. Trucks already have a longer stopping distance than passenger cars, so when the brakes are not working optimally, the risk of a crash is significantly increased.

Despite the dangers, there are far too many trucks that are not being inspected or repaired properly, and therefore have unsafe brakes.

Brake Problems a Big Issue for Trucks in the United States

Trucking Info recently reported on the troubling outcome of last fall’s Brake Safety Week inspections. The Commercial Vehicle Alliance inspected more than 13,305 commercial vehicles in the United States as part of Brake Safety Week. A total of 2,162 of the vehicles that were inspected received out-of-service citations and were taken off the roads. This amounts to 16.2 percent of the vehicles that were examined.

Around 10.4 percent of the vehicles had serious problems with brakes. This is a 9.3 percent increase since 2013, when 7.1 percent had problems with brakes. In total, 1,388 of the trucks received out of service citations due to brake adjustment violations. In comparison, only 4.6 percent of Canadian fleets received out-of-service citations because of problems with brakes.

Some of the different issues with brakes that roadside inspectors found on large trucks in the U.S. included:

• Air leaks
• Hydraulic fluid leaks
• Loose parts
• Missing parts
• Worn out rotors
• Worn out drums
• Worn out linings or brake pads
• Lights for antilock braking systems that were malfunctioning
• Excessive pushrod stroke

All of these problems exist despite the fact that a lot of attention is paid to brake safety issues and the risks of faulty truck brakes.

There are myriad theories on why problems with the brakes are so prevalent. One issue is that truckers may not do a good enough job on pre-and-post trip inspections, so fleet managers aren’t learning of brake issues. Another problem may be that technicians don’t have enough training to be able to effectively identify, maintain and repair problems with truck brakes.

Possible solutions to this problem include increased training. Companies can organize their own brake training clinics or can take advantage of different training programs that local truck dealers may offer on brake maintenance.

With so many vehicles with faulty brakes on the road, it is important for every truck driver, trucking company and truck maintenance expert be vigilant about identifying signs of brake problems.

South Carolina accident victims should contact attorney S. Randall Hood of McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC at 803-327-7800 or visit https://www.mcgowanhood.com for a free case consultation. Serving Anderson, SC, Rock Hill, SC, Sumter, SC, and Georgetown, SC, and surrounding areas.