BRAKES
1. Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, or motorized bicycle, when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold such vehicle, including two separate means of applying the brakes, each of which means shall be effective to apply the brakes to at least two wheels. If these two separate means of applying the brakes are connected in any way, they shall be so constructed that failure of any one part of the operating mechanism shall not leave the motor vehicle without brakes on at least two wheels.
2. Every motorcycle and motorized bicycle, when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with at least one brake, which may be operated by hand or foot.
3. Every trailer, semitrailer, or travel trailer of a gross weight of three thousand pounds or more, shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold such vehicle, when operated on the highways of this state. Every trailer, semitrailer, or travel trailer with a gross weight of three thousand pounds or more shall be equipped with a separate, auxiliary means of applying the brakes on the trailer, semitrailer, or travel trailer from the cab of the towing vehicle, or with self-actuating brakes, and shall also be equipped with a weight equalizing hitch with a sway control. Trailers or semitrailers with a truck or truck tractor need only comply with the brake requirements.
4. Except as otherwise provided in this ordinance, every new motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer hereafter sold in this state and operated upon the highways shall be equipped with service brakes upon all wheels of every such vehicle with the following exceptions:
(a) Any motorcycle or motorized bicycle.
(b) Any trailer or semitrailer of less than three thousand pounds gross weight need not be equipped with brakes.
(c) Trucks and truck tractors having three or more axles and manufactured before July 25, 1980, need not have brakes on the front wheels, except that such vehicles equipped with two or more front axles shall be equipped with brakes on at least one of such axles; provided that the service brakes of such vehicle comply with the performance requirements of Section 471.
(d) Only such brakes on the vehicle or vehicles being towed in a driveaway-towaway operation need be operative as may be necessary to insure compliance by the combination of vehicles with the performance requirements of Section 471. The term "driveaway-towaway" operation as used in this subsection means any operation in which any motor vehicle or motor vehicles, new or used, constitute the commodity being transported, when one set or more of wheels of any such motor vehicle or motor vehicles are on the roadway during the course of transportation, whether or not any such motor vehicle furnishes the motive power.
('91 Rev.; Ord. #4247, 8/18/97; ’99 Rev.) [Ref. Iowa Code §321.430]
1. The service brakes upon any motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles, when upon dry asphalt or concrete pavement surface free from loose material where the grade does not exceed one per cent, when traveling twenty miles an hour shall be adequate:
(a) To stop such vehicle or vehicles having a gross weight of less than five thousand pounds within a distance of thirty feet.
(b) To stop such vehicle or vehicles having a gross weight in excess of five thousand pounds within a distance of forty-five feet.
2. Under the above conditions the hand brake shall be adequate to hold such vehicle or vehicles stationary on any grade upon which operated.
3. Under the above conditions the service brakes upon a motor vehicle equipped with two-wheel brakes only, and when permitted hereunder, shall be adequate to stop the vehicle within a distance of forty-five feet and the hand brake adequate to stop the vehicle within a distance of fifty-five feet and the hand brake adequate to stop the vehicle within a distance of fifty-five feet.
4. All braking distances specified in this section shall apply to all vehicles mentioned, whether such vehicles are not loaded or are loaded to the maximum capacity permitted by law.
5. All brakes shall be maintained in good working order and shall be so adjusted as to operate as equally as practicable with respect to the wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle.
('95 Rev.) [Ref. Iowa Code §321.431]