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BRAKE TESTS EXTENDED TO ALL TYPES
Page 47
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THE goods vehicle brake tests which, as reported in The Commercial Motor, March 6, are to be carried out by the Road Research Laboratory in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport and the vehicles committees of the R.H.A. and T.R.T.A., began on Monday at the R.R.L. test track in Berkshire. Two vehicles loaned by Watney Combe Reid and Co. Ltd. were used on the first day, the tests then being of an exploratory nature to define the procedure to be adopted on following tests.
The initial series of tests is to be continued in the weeks commencing April 6 and April 20, but it is now known that the full range of tests planned will not be completed until near the end of this year. After the first programme with rigids, similar tests using articulated vehicles and tractor-trailer combinations will be carried out to obtain a complete picture of braking standards over the whole field of commercials.
Whilst the R.H.A. and T.R.T.A. participation is in line with the efforts of the two .bOdies . to get improved braking efficiencies on new vehicles, the Ministry is hoping to Use the results in formulating minimuin Standards for the annual tests
of commercial vehicles which will eventually be brought into effect.
The R.H.A. was hoping to have vehicles available for the R.R.L. this week, these being driven in the tests by hauliers' own drivers (the C-licensed vehicles are likely to be driven by fleet engineers as well as by regular drivers).
it is understood that at one point last week the Whole test programme appeared in danger of abandonment because R.R.L, requirements for virtually unlimited cover in the event of accident claims were unacceptable to the R.H.A. and T.R.T.A. The operator associations felt that, as they were supplying vehicles for test at the Ministry's request, they could not be 'expected to meet such onerous terms and it is understood that at the last minute the requirements were considerably modified.