What should I do if the semi-trailer's brakes suddenly fail?

In vehicle failure, brake failure is a very terrifying existence. For semi-trailers that often transport heavy goods, sudden brake failure when fully loaded and driving at high speeds, the consequences are often fatal, including vehicle crashes and people being injured. Death is no exaggeration at all.

Why does a perfectly good semi-trailer suddenly fail to brake while driving?

1. Do not pay attention to the daily inspection and maintenance of the braking system, and fail to detect problems in the braking system in time;

2. Irregular maintenance of the brake system leads to air in the brake system. For example, mixing brake oil causes air lock after being heated;

3. Improper operation leads to mechanical failure, such as simply relying on and continuously using the braking system when driving downhill for a long time;

4. Irregular use of the vehicle, such as severe overloading, increases the vehicle's motion inertia under the action of gravity acceleration, directly leading to brake failure.

Of course, there are many specific reasons for the failure of the braking system, and I will not list them all here. In a word: Pay more attention to the maintenance of the braking system at ordinary times, and maintain it in strict accordance with the usage specifications. Even if a problem is found, Even if the problem is small, it should be repaired in time.

If a fault is found in the braking system while the vehicle is driving, such as brake failure, what should be done to avoid causing a traffic accident? The following is a collection of experiences and suggestions from experienced drivers for your reference.

1. When the vehicle is driving on a curve or on an uphill or downhill road, it is necessary to step on the brakes even if there is no need to brake. This can not only test the braking performance at any time, but also help the car owner discover the brakes. In the event of brake failure, more time can be obtained to control the vehicle speed, so that the brake failure will not be discovered until an emergency occurs.

2. If the vehicle is driving on a straight road and finds that the brakes have failed, the driver should pay attention to the oil, control the steering wheel, and see if the high speed gear can be shifted into the low speed gear. If the transmission is difficult to open and close because the vehicle speed is too fast, you can try "two-foot accelerator shifting", step on the accelerator hard to increase the engine speed, then return to neutral, step on the accelerator again, and shift into low gear. After the vehicle speed drops, use the handbrake to brake. Don't pull it too hard or too slowly. Stop the vehicle slowly and turn on the emergency lights in a timely manner.

3. If the vehicle is driving on a flat curved road, if there is still some distance before the turn, treat it as a straight road; if it is approaching a curve, make full use of the vehicle's bumpers, compartments and other rigid parts and natural obstacles (rocks) on the roadside. , big trees, soil slopes) friction and collision, to achieve the purpose of forced parking and escape, and reduce accident losses as much as possible.

4. If the vehicle's brake fails on the way uphill, it should be reduced to a low gear in a timely manner so that the vehicle can maintain sufficient power to drive up the slope. Then tighten the handbrake in time, and the people on board the vehicle should immediately get off the vehicle and use stones, skids, etc. Block the wheels to prevent them from slipping backwards.

5. If the vehicle is going downhill and the speed is not too fast, you can try to brake slowly and hard with the handbrake. Be careful not to pull it too fast or too hard, otherwise the handbrake system may break and fall into greater trouble.

If the handbrake does not work, you must try to grab the gear; if you fail to grab the gear, you must promptly find solid obstacles on the roadside, such as rocks, big trees, and slopes, hold the steering wheel tightly, and use the side of the vehicle body to rub against it to slow down; When there are no obstacles that can rub against the parking area and the vehicle speed is getting faster and faster, the driver should always pay attention to the whistle to remind vehicles and pedestrians to avoid, and then find a softer beach, field, etc., and force the vehicle to stop. If an emergency shelter is designed on the road, the vehicle can be driven to the shelter to avoid danger.Learn more