(A) Brake Equipment Required.
(1) Every motor vehicle, when operated upon a street, shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold such vehicle.
(2) Every house trailer of a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more, when operated upon a street, shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of, and to stop and to hold such vehicle, and so designed as to be applied by the driver of the towing motor vehicle.
(3) Every bus, truck, road tractor, or truck tractor shall be equipped with parking brakes capable of locking the rear driving wheels and adequate under any condition of loading to hold, to the limit of traction of such braked wheels, such vehicle or combination of vehicles to which such motor vehicle may be attached. The operating controls of such parking brakes shall be independent of the operating controls of the service brakes.
(4) In any combination of motor-drawn vehicles, means shall be provided for applying the rearmost trailer brakes, or any trailer equipped with brakes, in approximate synchronism with the brakes on the towing vehicle and developing the required braking effort on the rearmost wheels at the fastest rate; or means shall be provided for applying braking effort first on the rearmost trailer equipped with brakes; or both of the above means capable of being used alternatively may be employed.
(B) Every motor vehicle or combination of motor-drawn vehicles shall be capable at all times, and under all conditions, of loading, of being stopped on a dry, smooth, level road, free from loose material, upon application of the service brake, within the distance specified below, or shall be capable of being decelerated at a sustained rate corresponding to these distances:
Type | Feet to Stop from 20 mph | Deceleration in Feet per Second |
Vehicles or combinations
of vehicles having brakes on all wheels | 30 | 14 |
Vehicles or combinations of vehicles not having brakes on all wheels | 40 | 10.7 |
(C) All brakes shall be maintained in good working order and shall be so adjusted as to operate as equally as practicable with respect to wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle.
('74 Code, § 9-5-20.6) (Ord. 65-1974)