Rule 4501:2-1-08 | Motor vehicle equipment standards for brakes.
(A) Definitions:
(1) "Service brake" means the primary brake for retarding, stopping and controlling a vehicle.
(2) "Emergency brake" means a brake system independent in application from the service brake used for stopping or holding a vehicle in an emergency or while parked.
(3) "Pedal reserve" means the amount of total pedal travel left in reserve when the pedal is depressed to the "brake applied" position.
(B) Brakes will be inspected to determine if:
(1) There is sufficient brake pedal. Hydraulic brake system shall be tested with vehicle in a stopped position. Driver should be able to maintain brake pedal height under moderate foot force (forty to sixty pounds) for one minute.
(2) There is sufficient brake pedal reserve. With a vehicle in stopped position and the brake pedal depressed under moderate foot force (forty to sixty pounds for nonpowered systems and fifteen to twenty pounds in power assisted systems) there shall be a minimum of approximately one-third of the total available pedal travel (manufacturers specification) remaining on nonpower assisted systems. On power assisted systems, checking with motor running, there shall be one-fifth or more of the total available pedal travel remaining when pedal is depressed under moderate foot force.
(3) The service brake shall stop the vehicle in the distance required by law. Visual inspection shall be made for leakage of brake cylinders on all wheels. The test may be made using a mechanical testing device approved by the Superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, or on a level, dry, smooth, hard surface, free of loose material, oil or grease, using the service brake only to stop the vehicle.
Vehicles having brakes on all wheels shall come to a stop in thirty feet or less from a speed of twenty miles per hour. Vehicles not having brakes on all wheels shall come to a stop in forty feet or less from a speed of twenty miles per hour.
(4) The emergency brake shall hold the vehicle on any grade on which it is operated, under all conditions of loading, on a surface free from snow, ice or loose material and shall be adequate to stop the vehicle in event the service brake should fail.
The emergency brake shall hold the vehicle in stopped position when less than two-thirds of the actuator stroke is used. A test shall be made by setting the emergency brake and then attempting to move the vehicle in forward gear at an idle.
Supplemental Information