Evening star., 1935-09-29
D. c. BRAKE RULES
HELD INSUFFICIENT
Requirements Fail to Come
Up to Safety Conference
Standards.

Motor vehicle brake requirements In
Washington do not come up to the
standards recommended in the uniform
traffic code by the National Conference
on Street and Highway Safety, a
survey. disclosed yesterday. Tests for
heavy penumatic-tired trucks fall be-
hind those for passenger automobiles.
although both are allowed the same
speed. except where gross weight ex-
ceeds $4,000 pounds.
Last year, it was pointed out by
Richard NJ Ham, director of safety
for the Washington district of the
American Automobile Association, the
street and highway safety group ap-
proved code for more stringent brake
requirements, believing improved auto
motive machinery justified more rigid
tests.
Under the groups proposal, both
passenger automobiles and pneumatic
tired trucks would be required to be
able to stop within 80 feet with foot
brakes and at distance Of SIS feet
with hand brakes. Tests for both
d0tOiuOHA4Co dllN VI uOho, tAlC
code, would be given at a speed Of
20 miles an hour.
Under traffic regulations in the Dis
trict, an automobile travelling at this
rate must be able to stop within 40 feet
with foot brakes and at rs feet with
hand brake. Light pneumatic-tired
trucks, weighing IA tons or less. are
required to pass the same tests.
Speeds for Truck Tests.
For pneumatic tired trucks weigh
ing more than IA tons, the brake
tests are given at speeds of only IS
miles an hour. The heavier trucks,
however. are required to be able to
stop at distance Of 40 feet with both
the foot and hand brakes.
Brake tests for trucks are given here
while they are unloaded. The code
recommended by the highway group
requires trucks to be able to meet the
brake tests with or without load
Where gross weight of any truck Is
more than $4,000 pounds, the speed
is limited to not more than 10 miles
per hour, instead of % miles allowed
lighter pneumatic tired trucks. All
solid tired trucks are required to run
at speed of not more than Is miles
per hour.
Favors Passenger Standards.
Ham pointed out that the Ameri-
can Automobile Association long has
been in favor of trucks having the
same standard for brake tests as
passenger automobiles. He said, how
ever, the association favors allowing
some time for the improvement of
truck brakes to enable them to pass
more readily the more rigid tests.
There are approximately $4,000
trucks, including all types. in Wash
ington, it is reported at the office of
Traffic Director William A. Van
Duzer, and approximately 172,000
passenger automobiles.
Based on these figures, the trucks,
which number slightly more than 10
per cent OF the number of passenger
automobiles, have been responsible
this year for more than Is per cent of
the total deaths in which trucks and
passenger automobiles are listed as the
striking machines.
In a total of 6,184 accidents this
year, through August 81. in which all
classes Of vehicles were involved,
trucks were held to blame in 720 cases
and passenger automobiles in 4,278,
the trucks being responsible in more
than 10 per cent Of the total.
On q percentage comparison with
trucks and automobiles alone, which
account for q total of 1898 accidents
between them, the trucks were re-
sponsible in more than IA per cent Of
the cases.