Because of their size and weight, commercial trucks gain considerable speed when traveling down Connecticut hills, and if the professionals driving those trucks do not know how to effectively slow their vehicles, they pose a serious safety threat to everyone on the roadway. At Loughlin Fitzgerald, P.C., we understand that brake failure issues are frequent factors in many of today’s semi-truck crashes, and we also recognize that many crashes resulting from brake failure issues could be avoidable if truckers had adequate experience and training.
Per Transport Topics, a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration revealed that brake failure is today’s most common cause of equipment-related truck crashes, causing nearly 30% of them. Just how can air brakes malfunction and potentially endanger everyone in a truck’s path?
To work properly, air brakes must have airstreams supplied to them, which keeps them open and functioning as they should. In some cases, though, the system can fail, causing the flow of air to stop and the brakes to apply themselves and lock up. Under these circumstances, a truck driver can lose control over the truck, which can prove particularly dangerous if that truck is traveling downhill.
Other tractor-trailer brake failure issues arise because drivers lack the training or experience needed to understand that there are other things they can do, aside from riding the brakes, to see their trucks safely down steep hills. Semi-truck drivers can, for example, engage their jake brakes when traveling downhill to help slow their vehicles, and they should also know to use their brake systems sporadically, as opposed to constantly, when attempting to slow their trucks. You can find more about car crashes on our webpage.
