U.S. rulemaking backs high-tech brake testers

WASHINGTON (Aug. 12, 2002) — The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a final rule Friday that will allow enforcement officials to use roller dynamometers, breakaway torque testers, and other performance-based brake testers (PBBTs) to test brake compliance on trucks and buses.

The rule does not replace existing brake performance requirements, but provides an alternative testing method to the little used 20-mph stopping-distance test that requires a testing site with adequate space requirements, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation said in a press release.

Enforcement agencies will be able to apply for federal funds to pay for the PBBTs, which measure brake forces at each wheel. Only PBBTs that meet government specifications can be used.

“We need to take advantage of new technology to help reduce the number of fatalities related to truck and bus crashes,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. “This new safety technology can help prevent crashes by ensuring that trucks and buses have sufficient braking capacity.”

The new rule applies to all commercial motor vehicle weighing over 10,000 pounds, and is effective on Feb. 5, 2003.

The new rule is in the Aug. 9 Federal Register. It also is on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket number for the final rule is FHWA-1999-6266.