NHTSA Issues Tougher Brake Requirements

he National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week issued its long-awaited proposal to cut the required stopping distance for heavy-duty trucks.

While it said the shorter stops could be made with drum brakes, the agency said it would look into the need for more effective, but more expensive, disc brakes.

The stopping distance rule did not include a requirement that truck brakes resist fade — the tendency to lose effectiveness during prolonged or repeated applications.