The Automotive Blog

Brake Testing should form part of vehicle maintenance routine, however VOSA are reporting that Van fleets are ignoring the need for regular maintenance checks and disregarding mechanical failures. They claim that this is a greater problem with vans than with heavy goods or PSV operators.

Over 50% of the 21,000 roadside checks VOSA conducted on vans throughout 2009 uncovered mechanical defects, compared to 24% of HGVs and 15% of PSVs. The most common issue was faulty brakes.

In addition, almost half (45%) of vans fail their MoT compared to 34% of HGVs and 24% of PSVs.

Graham Owen, VOSA area manager says fleets would be held criminally responsible for unroadworthy vehicles or drivers as VOSA has the authority and responsibility to remove them from the road. He insists that vans should follow the same good practice as HGVs, as laid out in the ‘O’ licence on preventative maintenance. In particular making it the driver’s responsibility to do a daily walk-round of the vehicle to ensure it is in a roadworthy condition, and keeping records to demonstrate this

Don’t rely on the MoT – it’s the worst standard you can apply,” Owen warned. “It is the minimum standard of a vehicle that has ticked the boxes at a moment in time. You want your standard to be higher so that over the period between inspection – whether that’s 12 weeks, six months or a year – you never fall below the compliance line.”

These checks could include regular brake testing with products such as Brake Check.

Visit aide automotive for a full list of automotive products

BrakeCheck. Make brake Testing part of your routine vehicle checks

The easiest way to prevent any prohibitions from VOSA however serious is to consider regular Brake Testing and Tyre Pressure Monitoring. By using a Brake Tester like BrakeCheck you can demonstrate that you’ve been testing on a regular basis. Similarly a Tyre Pressure Monitor such as PressurePro allows you to check you have the correct tyre pressure for your vehicle.

One Staffordshire firm recently discovered the consequences of not regularly maintaining their vehicles. Stoke-on-Trent firm, Dime Metal Services had its licence revoked from 7 August, and its boss disqualified from applying for a new licence for 15 months.

The operator has had its O-licence revoked after a Deputy Traffic Commissioner (DTC) described their vehicles as a “significant danger to other road users” due to lack of maintenance and regular testing of brakes and tyres. West Midlands Deputy Traffic Commissioner Roger Seymour said the company had shown an “almost total disregard of the law and obligations of operator licensing”.

VOSA inspectors carried out maintenance investigations into the company and identified eight prohibitions – three of which were S-marked – were imposed on the firm. They are related to “very serious” brake and tyre issues.

The DTC summarised “Looking at the evidence overall, I find that this operator has failed to discharge his responsibilities and undertakings to maintain his vehicles in a roadworthy condition to the point where the continued use of his vehicles constituted a significant danger to other road users.”

Check out aide automotive for our full product range.

Brake Tester

BrakeCheck is probably the number one decelerometer for MOT garages as back up to the roller brake tester.

It is by a legal requirement for all MOT garages to have a back up to the roller brake tester and to have facility to test brakes of vehicles that cannot be tested on the roller brake tester. Such vehicles are 4 wheeled drives and vehicles with low suspension.

BrakeCheck is also approved for Class 1 & 2, quad and tri bike MOT testing.

BrakeCheck replaces the old traditional mechanical meter such as Tapley.

With over 10,000 brake testers sold, BrakeCheck is the number 1 decelerometer for an MOT Garage.

aide automotive market the BrakeCheck.

BrakeCheck the MOT Garages Number 1 Decelerometer

BrakeCheck is the device to conduct regular brake tests.  Brake testing on a regular basis is crucial to running a safe, efficient and cost effective organisation. Failure to do so can results in severe penalties from fines to imprisonment.

BrakeCheck gives drivers and operators the back up to report promptly any defects or symptoms of defects that could adversely affect the safe operation of their vehicles. A portable battery-powered device that can be used by vehicle workshops, government traffic authorities, testing and inspection stations to test and report on vehicle brake efficiency. BrakeCheck is VOSA & MOT approved. VOSA are continually advising operators, commercial repairers and in house workshops to complete regular inspection sheet brake test. BrakeCheck will conduct a service, secondary & parking brake test with ease and store in its memory for later printing via PC or portable printer.

Find out more about BrakeCheck or more of aide automotive products

Finding a defective ABS in cab warning light means operators cannot afford to ignore ABS warnings especially as VOSA up their roadside checks. The ISOCheck Test Lead, is a simple device which quickly confirms the correct information is being supplied from the unit to the trailer and from the trailer to the unit.

Dri-Pak the household cleaning product company have recently purchased an ISOCheck from aide automotive and found it a great asset to their business. Ian their workshop manager says ISOCheck has increased the efficency of his delivery vehicles. Dri Pak use both their own vehicles and also sub contract drivers. They’ve experienced issues when a driver changes trailer and suddenly an ABS warning light appears. The difficultly lies in tracking down where the problem is, in the Truck or the Trailer? ISOCheck can quickly determine where the issue is so that the problem can be rectified!  This simple solution takes the headache away from busy workshops.

aide automotive has a range of automotive products

The device that checks ABS/EBS braking systems

CabCheckS is the PC software that enables BrakeChecks brake test results to be downloaded to a PC. This software is now compatible with Windows 7.

CabCheck software is a better option than a portable printer as it gives you the ability to download, store and print brake tests from your PC. CabCheckS gives the professional edge to Brake Testing, by the capacity to print onto a sheet of A4 quality paper compared to the portable hand held print outs. And another bonus is the BrakeCheck and a PC kit is cheaper than buying a BrakeCheck and printer.

Another benefit is the additional option of adding extra details to the print out for instance comments can be made on the ground condition, brake maintenance, weather and performance. Printing tests and saving to the PC hard drive is at the click of a button. Each printed test report can be  embedded with your company name.

aideautomotive have a number of automotive products to suit your needs

A coroner ruled that a pensioner whose car burst into flames after being hit by a lorry was unlawfully killed.  The inquest was told the lorries brakes had not been maintained properly.

The 85-year-old’s car was struck on the side when the Lorry veered on to his side of the road and pushed his car on to the verge where it burst into flames.

The lorry driver had borrowed the vehicle from a friend in Chester who owned a commercial vehicle company.  He said he went over the brow of a hill and into a bend, but when he tried to brake there was no response. Mr Mason said he had done a quick visual check of the vehicle when he picked it up from Mr Currie’s garage the previous night and had not noticed any defects.  Worcestershire coroner asked Mr Currie how often the vehicle, used for business purposes, was serviced, as his operating licence stated it should be about every eight weeks.

Mr Currie said it had not been serviced since July 2008 and although he’d checked it himself, he’d not noticed the severely corroded brake pipe underneath the vehicle.

Mr Williams said Mr Currie had breached his duty to keep the vehicle in a roadworthy condition. He recorded a verdict that Mr Bird had been unlawfully killed.

Horrific stories like these only demonstrate how important it is to not only to check your brakes but also be able to demonstrate that you’ve been doing so on a regular basis.

Follow this Brake Tester link to find out more details on our Brake Tester BrakeCheck

As britain is going through The Big Freeze maintaining vehicles becomes more important  to ensure that everything is working correctly. Employers don’t need stranded vehicles in cold wintery conditions because of issues such as flat batteries. Similarly in winter weather it’s vital to ensure that their vehicles are in top condition, regularly checking the condition of brakes and tyres can prevent accidents in icy conditions. There are a numberof  products on the market that assist through the winter.

If a company driver is stranded because the battery will not start the vehicle or simply batteries need charging to avoid them not working Check out these links to help fix battery issues

• SOS Battery Booster restores Flat Batteries starting a battery from cold or dead.
• Midtronics Battery Tester confirms a vehicle’s battery efficiency.
• Battery Charging prolongs the life of a battery by keeping it fully charged at all times

To ensure your workforce are driving a safe vehicle in wintery conditions, tyres and brakes should be legal.

• Brake Testing with BrakeCheck the brake tester for commercial vehicles .
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring to ensure your tyres are the correct vehicle PSI

A Grimbsby Haulier has been fined £2,000 for having illegal brakes on a vehicle after one of their lorries crashed into a vehicle and causing a fatality two years ago. The company had originally pleaded not guilty but a change in plea was lodged last year.

Faulty brakes can cause serious accidents if not checked on a regular basis. BrakeCheck is a battery powered device that can be used to test and report on vehicle braking efficiency. BrakeCheck is VOSA and MOT approved. In a situation like the above it will be easy to demonstrate from print outs that the brakes have been tested on a regular basis

Click BrakeCheck for full product details

aide automotive would like to promote Roadtransports top 10 tips for commercial vehicle operators to avoid being stranded.

1. Use the Highways Agency and Met Office websites for primary reference and get regular feedback from any drivers already out in affected areas.

2. Transport managers should make alternative plans to get trucks moving, and if a truck is stranded keep customers informed of vehicle movements.

3. Make sure drivers are well armed with night-out stuff or at least have the basics: a torch, food and drink, and a mobile phone. A truck’s night-heater should ward off the cold but blankets are also important.

4. Get drivers to do a thorough check of their vehicle, checking all light bulbs, topping up washer fluid and de-icer/scraper and making sure tyres are properly inflated.

5. Truck drivers need to double their usual stopping distance from the vehicle in front; don’t be afraid to travel slower.

6. When you are trying to slow the truck down, employ the engine brake and/or retarder before the service brakes. This will slow the vehicle before applying the brakes. Most trucks will have ABS but that is no guarantee of stopping inside the usual stopping distance for a truck. Articulated truck drivers should avoid braking procedures on corners – a sure way to jack-knife.

7. Take your time. Keep to the main roads; they are more likely to have been gritted. On motorways and dual carriageways use the clearest lane and keep away from slush and ice.

8. Don’t use the cruise control – this is no time for efficient running. Keep the truck in high gear as it will slow the vehicle more quickly once you take your foot off the accelerator.

9. Concentrate. Avoid, if possible, poorly lit roads and shortcuts through country lanes. There is a greater risk of ice where the road changes elevation or is exposed to the elements, where it passes under a bridge, and where the sun is blocked out and the surface doesn’t melt.

10. Tune into the local radio station – its traffic updates will be more regular, comprehensive, and up to date compared with national radio.

aide automotive promote various products that could help with the tips above:

Air Alert is an excellent product to identify low tyre pressures.

Brake Light Check makes it easy for the driver to check his or hers lights.

Using BrakeCheck on a commercial vehicle inspection sheet will keep brakes working to the VOSA standard.