The Automotive Blog

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

Further to our recent posts that highlight the need for companies to implement procedures such as brake testing and tyre pressure monitoring on a regular basis if they’re to avoid prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007. This week (Tuesday 23rd February) sees the start of the trial of a company director accused of unlawful killing through gross negligence.  Potentially seeing the first person to be convicted under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007, which came into force in April 2008

The case is regarding geologist, Alexander Wright, of Cheltenham, who was killed in September 2008 when the sides of the excavated pit he was working in collapsed on top of him. Mr. Eaton the company director is the first person to be prosecuted under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007. He is charged with gross negligence manslaughter under the new Act, and with an offence contrary to Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.  It is not only Mr. Eaton that faces these charges, his company, Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings, has also been charged with failing to discharge a duty contrary to Section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

 If convicted the company director could face life imprisonment and a serious impact on his business with a maximum sentence for the firm being an unlimited fine.

These more stringent laws only emphasise how companies need to enforce and communicate their health and safety policies to their employees.  Any records that companies can keep of how they are proactively keeping their workforce safe can only be of benefit if they find themselves in these unfortunate circumstances.

aide automotive has a number of products that help companies to demonstrate they are keeping their workforce safe. Clcik the following links to find out more

• Brake Testers
• Tyre Pressure Monitors
• Other Health and Safety Products

Click aide automotive to find out more about our full range of products

Tyre Pressure Monitoring and Brake Testing are important considerations for any company that operates company vehicles especially now that new sentencing guidelines have been introduced. At the beginning of February the Sentencing Guideline Council published it’s recommended sentencing charges for corporate manslaughter and health and safety offences causing death. These are the first guidelines for sentencing organisations not individuals.  The council uses these guidelines to help courts make decisions on sentencing organisations that have caused death through a serious breach of care of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Tyre Pressure Monitoring and Brake Testing are two ways that organisations with a driving workforce can be vigilant in avoiding accidents at work. Even in the case of an incident some of these products can assist in demonstrating a company has done everything in it’s care to protect its driving workforce. 

New guidelines, which took effect from Monday (February 15), have set out the precise financial risk that organisations face if they have not done everything possible to minimise health and safety hazards with their vehicles.  Such as monitoring their tyre pressure or ensuring brakes are tested on a regular basis

Under these new guidelines, if a work-related road death leads to a prosecution for a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the fine will be ‘…seldom less than £100,000 and may be measured in hundreds of thousands of pounds or more’.

And if conviction of corporate manslaughter is proven, the fine imposed will be ‘…seldom less than £500,000 and may be measured in millions of pounds’.

Tyre Pressure Monitoring and Brake Testing are two ways that organisations with a driving workforce can be vigilant in avoiding accidents at work. Even in the case of an incident some of these products can assist in demonstrating a company has done everything in it’s care to protect its driving workforce.

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

• For Brake Testing try BrakeCheck the Brake Testing device for commercial vehicles
• For flat batteries use SOS Battery Booster. This product can start heavy plant engines up to 1500HP which have been stationary for long periods, in extreme weather conditions and without batteries.
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring is simple to assess with PressurePro.

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.