WHEN TRUCK DRIVERS OPERATE IN UNFAMILIAR ROADS, EXTRA CAUTION IS REQUIRED TO AVOID DISASTERS: ARKANSAS TRUCK DRIVER CAUSES THE BRAKES/TIRES TO CATCH FIRE AND CRUSHES HIS TRUCK, SPILLING ALMOST 6,000 GALLONS OF SWEET CREAM

 

WHEN TRUCK DRIVERS OPERATE IN UNFAMILIAR ROADS, EXTRA CAUTION IS REQUIRED TO AVOID DISASTERS: ARKANSAS TRUCK DRIVER CAUSES THE BRAKES/TIRES TO CATCH FIRE AND CRUSHES HIS TRUCK, SPILLING ALMOST 6,000 GALLONS OF SWEET CREAM

It is better to go late to your destination and then go home with your truck, than to be carried home in another type of truck.

February 5, 2015

BRIGHAM CITY, UTAH:

A tanker truck carrying a load of sweet cream from a dairy in Hyrum crashed on Highway 89 in Brigham City Thursday and sent an estimated 5,780 gallons of dairy product onto the street.

Acting Police Chief Mike Nelson, Brigham City PD, tells FOX 13 News the truck was traveling downhill on Highway 89 and that when the truck entered Brigham City the brakes of the truck were on fire as a result of the driver’s efforts to slow the tanker truck down during the descent. The brakes failed completely as the driver was approaching a red light.

There were several cars in the truck’s path, so the driver made a sharp turn to avoid impact and ended up rolling the truck onto Main Street. The load of sweet cream spilled out onto the street, and officials said 5,780 gallons spilled. The driver, a 59-year-old man from Arkansas, suffered facial injuries officials described as being not life-threatening. He was transported to Brigham City Hospital. There were no other injuries reported.

Photos from a Utah Department of Transportation camera showed the scene as well as crews’ efforts to clean up the spill.

Police said it is unclear whether or not the driver will be cited for the crash, and safety teams from the Utah Highway Patrol are checking the tanker for any illegal mechanical problems.  It was obvious that the the brakes failed; the question of course as to why the brakes failed, i.e., was it for lack of maintenance, was it for faulty brake parts, etc.

Break Failure

Truck brake failure is a common cause of serious accidents, particularly when a large truck's brakes overheat and malfunction. This can be caused by negligent maintenance and even improper loading of cargo onto the vehicle. A traditional system of air brakes is generally used on large trucks. If the temperature of the brake drum increases to dangerous levels, then adequate braking may be affected.

Also, when navigating steep inclines, improper downhill braking by a truck driver can result in a serious crash.  In order to avoid this, the trucking industry recommends that drivers repeatedly apply the brakes for a brief amount of time, gradually reducing speed.  However, inadequately-trained or inexperienced drivers, faulty brakes, or a combination of those factors increases the risk of collision or truck crash (overturn, flip, etc) when trying to navigate steep hills.

Trucking companies are responsible for proper maintenance of braking systems on every large vehicle in the fleet.

Laws on Truck Braking Systems

The federal government has imposed strict regulations on the safety of truck braking systems. A truck must be able to:

• Develop a braking force at least equal to the percentage of its weight

• Decelerate to a stop from 20 miles per hour at a rate specific to its size

• Meet the automatic brake adjustment system requirements if the truck is equipped with hydraulic brake systems (applicable to the vehicle at the time of manufacture) 

• Meet the automatic brake adjustment system requirements if the truck is equipped with air brake systems (applicable to the vehicle at the time of manufacture)

Although there are a few exceptions, most commercial vehicles that are equipped with a hydraulic brake system must also meet federal requirements for anti-lock braking systems.

 

 

Unfortunately, all too frequent we see crashes like that where a truck driver operates his rig in unfamiliar territories.  When the truck is loaded with goods, it does not take much for the truck tires/brakes to catch fire and/or to otherwise cause a rollover or flipping or crashing of the truck.  It is very difficult to control a vehicle that weighs many tons when going downhill, uphill or making a turn or making an evasive maneuver.  Such vehicles can only accept a 0.2 to 0.4 g acceleration prior to rolling over and playing dead.  Shushing or loose or displaced  cargo loads also create imbalances that are very difficult to control, leading to so many disasters.  Tens of thousands of people die and/or injured every year due to such truck accidents that are preventable.  

It is better to go late to your destination and then go home with your truck, than to be carried home in another type of truck.