Braking on Heavy Artics
Page 73
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I READ with interest the letters of Mr. D. J. Broom (March 11 issue) and Mr. H. 0. Doughty (March 25) on the present systems of braking on heavy artics. This matter is also, causing us some concern, particularly as applied to driver-education and road safety.
Mr. Broom's doubts on the safety of outer-axle braking are , in my view, well founded, as any modification which removes or reduces the driver's ability to prevent or correct a jack-knife in its early stages—the most vicious hazard that any driver may have to face—cannot be sound practice.
Mr. Doughty fails to convince me that we have a good system, particularly when the need for further modification is suggested to reduce time-lag. Surely time-lag on an emergency brake must be considered a hazard; and surely immediate activation would be vital following failure of the foot-brake application. I would agree that over-use of the old trailer brake is hard on the trailer axles. But correct driver-education could reduce this problem— and the infinitely better control afforded, thus reducing the risk of accidents and load losses, must be worth some additional wear and tear.
If we must have outer-axle braking—and no one can argue against increased braking power—surely a relatively inexpensive two-way cut-in valve, with trigger control sited on the existing lever, could restore the safeguards of independent trailer braking • without prejudice to the 25 per cent efficiency requirements. BRIAN WILSON, British School of Motoring Ltd. (commercial division).