Truck accidents are among the most catastrophic events on the road, and brake malfunctions or failures are a common factor in these serious collisions. What should you know about the part that faulty brakes can play in deadly truck accidents?
How dangerous are faulty brakes?
Unlike smaller vehicles, trucks require a much greater distance to come to a complete stop. This makes their brakes essential for safe operation. Faulty brakes can significantly increase the risk of accidents in several ways:
- Increased stopping distance: Inadequate brakes can lead to increased stopping distances, making it difficult to stop the vehicle safely in emergency situations.
- Loss of control: Brake issues can lead to uneven braking, where one part of the vehicle stops faster than another, potentially causing jackknifing or loss of control.
- Jackknifing: This occurs when the trailer swings around to the side of the cab, forming an acute angle. Brake issues, especially if they are uneven across the trailer and truck, can cause this dangerous situation.
These dangers become even more pronounced on highways, where vehicles travel at higher speeds. On these roadways, the impact of brake failure can be particularly catastrophic, leading to severe injuries or fatalities.
Because of the dangers that brake failure can cause, they are a common factor in truck accidents nationwide. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Large Truck Crash Causation Study showed that brake issues contributed to around 30 percent of fatal crashes.
Could the semi-truck on the road with you have faulty brakes?
During the last week of August 2024, certified inspectors conducted a total of 16,725 inspections on commercial motor vehicles as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Brake Safety Week. The inspections revealed that 13 percent of vehicles in the United States inspected had out-of-service brake violations. More than half of these vehicles of the vehicles failed due to having 20% or more defective brakes on the vehicle.
Brake safety is not just a regulatory requirement but a crucial investment in the safety of all road users. Knowing about the danger of brake failure can help drivers protect themselves when sharing the road with large commercial vehicles.