How many semi-trucks and big rigs driving Illinois and Indiana roads have dangerously defective brakes, risking a fatal truck crash?
Recent reports of product recalls, federal agency investigations, and safety organization spot-checks of trucks on our country’s roads warn of the shocking number of big rigs, semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, and tractor-trailer trucks that are being driven today with dangerously flawed and faulty braking systems.
Truckers depend upon reliable braking systems on their vehicles at all times, but especially when they are driving at high speeds on interstate roadways where a minor brake failure can result in loss of control and a fatal semi-truck crash.
For commercial truck drivers and those that share the roads with them in Indiana and Illinois, the danger of a fatal accident caused by failing truck brakes is a growing and serious concern.
Consider the following:
2021 NHTSA Notification: Serious Semi-Truck Brake Failures Impacting 500,000 Rigs
Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) uploaded documentation on its website confirming the agency’s receipt of around a dozen complaints about dangerous brakes in semi-trucks being driven in this country, manufactured by Haldex Commercial Vehicle Systems and for the most part installed in 2015-2020 Kenworth and Peterbilt rigs. For more, read “US Probes Overheating Brakes That Cause Fires In 500K Semis,” written and published by the Associated Press on July 20, 2021.
The problem with these semi-truck brakes is their propensity to fail and cause the truck to burst into flame. Current industry estimates have around 500,000 operating semi-trucks on our roadways that are being driven with these dangerous Haldex brake systems.
So far, no one has died from injuries sustained in one of these Haldex brake-failure related fires. As explained by NHTSA, the danger involves incidents where “…without discernable warning to the driver…” the semi-trucks suffered “… extensive fire damage…” to the vehicle and in some instances, its cargo as well, with analysis of these fires pointing to failures in the Haldex brake systems. See, NHTSA Action Number PE21018 – July 16, 2021.
Spring 2021 Product Recalls for Semi-Truck Brake Failures
Flawed brakes on running rigs are not a rarity in this country. Recent commercial motor vehicle recalls include two notices published within 60 days of this NHTSA action notice regarding the Haldex truck brake problem.
In April and May 2021, two recalls came from Navistar of 1400 working commercial trucks because of either (1) brake systems that did not comply with of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121 (“Air Brake Systems”) (impacting 845 rigs) or (2) brakes where brake failures can cause the rig’s parking brake to engage without warning (impacting 615 rigs). See, NHTSA Recalls 21V-227 and 21V-226.
In the Navistar truck brake recalls, “unintended spring brake application may occur, increasing the risk of a crash,” and “a hole in the diaphragm may cause an air leak, causing the parking brake to engage and increasing the risk of a crash.”
Brake Safety Day: May 2021
On May 26, 2021, officials in Canada, Mexico, and the United States participated in the annual Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Brake Safety Day, where official government inspectors held surprise inspections of commercial motor vehicle brake systems. The goal of this annual unannounced truck inspection is “…to reduce the number of highway crashes caused by faulty braking systems on commercial motor vehicles by conducting roadside inspections and educating drivers, mechanics, owner-operators and others on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation.”
Why the focus on commercial truck brakes? CVSA explains (emphasis added):
Brakes are one of the most important systems within a commercial motor vehicle; however, despite our knowledge of how crucial those systems are, brake-related violations continue to dominate vehicle out-of-service conditions. Brake system violations was the top vehicle out-of-service category during last year’s three-day International Roadcheck commercial motor vehicle and driver inspection and enforcement safety initiative.
On this year’s Brake Safety Day, the inspectors conducted 10,091 truck brake inspections and pulled 1273 semi-trucks, big rigs, 18-wheelers, or tractor-trailers off the road and out of service because of brake failures.
While fourteen (14) vehicles were removed from Mexico’s roadways, and another 108 commercial trucks were sidelined in Canada for brake issues, an astonishing 1,151 commercial trucks were removed from U.S. roadways due to brake violations on 2021’s Brake Safety Day.
For more, read:
- Bad Brakes in Semi Trucks: How Many Trucks Will Be Placed Out of Service During Brake Safety Week?
- Bad Brakes Pull 282 Big Rigs Off Pennsylvania Roads; In One Day
Fatal Semi-Truck Crashes Caused by Brake Failure in Indiana or Illinois
Accident victim advocates for those suffering serious bodily injury in motor vehicle accidents understand all too well how often tragedy strikes in any collision where a commercial truck (big rig, semi-truck, 18-wheeler, tractor-trailer) is involved. These heavy machines share the roadways of Indiana and Illinois with other semi-trucks as well as smaller 4-wheelers (sedans, minivans, SUVs, pickups, etc.), often cruising at high speeds as they move freight through the “Crossroads of America.”
Sadly, the impact of any semi-truck crash can be deadly, but the risk of fatality for the truck driver, his or her passengers, and the driver and occupants of the other vehicles involved in the collision is extreme when higher speeds are involved.
It takes longer for these huge and heavy machines to come to a stop, even when the braking system is fully functional and without defect. If the brakes fail in any measure, the likelihood of a tragic death in the truck accident is horrifically high.
Nevertheless, it is apparent today that many commercial trucks being driven on our nation’s roadways are doing so with defective or deficient braking systems. The risk of a severe or fatal truck crash is unacceptably high.
For more, read:
- Brake Failure: Fatal Truck Crashes Caused by Dangerous Brakes in Semis, Big Rigs, and Other Large Commercial Trucks
- Different Types of Fatal Semi-Truck Accidents and Tractor-Trailer Crashes
- Safety Groups Push Feds to Require Big Rigs to Have Auto-Brake Safety Devices
- Pending Trucking Legislation Before 2021 Indiana Statehouse and the Danger of Fatal Truck Crashes with Faster, Heavier Rigs on our Roads
- Trucking Companies Liable for Semi-Truck Crashes in Indiana and Illinois
- Will Mandating Automatic Emergency Braking Systems in Semi-Trucks Reduce the Danger of Rear-End Truck Crashes?
Anyone driving the roads of Indiana or Illinois should be aware of the dangers of truck brake failure and the corresponding risk of a fatal truck crash. Please be careful out there!
