Over the years, there have been significant advances in car safety and driver assistance technology up to the point that some cars now drive themselves. With each advancing improvement, the element that will always be a car’s vital safety system is the brakes.
With top-notch, well-functioning brakes, motorists can stop accidents from occurring by slowing down or stopping within a split second and saving lives. Therefore, Keeping the brakes regularly well-maintained is essential. That’s why leading automotive workshops use a Safe T Stop plate brake test system for vehicle safety inspections and as a tool for routine maintenance and fault diagnosis.
SafeTstop builds precision vehicle test lanes for the transport and automotive industries, so every vehicle on the road is safe. Why? Because the rudimentary decelerometer brake tests used by many vehicles inspection stations to meet government requirements are simplistic and often do not detect many common brake problems, let alone identify them. It’s known that a car with weak brakes can easily pass these tests; While it takes the most severely faulty brakes to deliver a failed result.
Still sceptical? Don’t just take our word for it. Read on to discover what recent research results from a study carried out by Adelaide University show.
THE BRAKE testing system commonly used for annual vehicle safety inspections in Australia and New Zealand is not safe for road users because it routinely gives a pass mark to weak and faulty braking systems.
This was the finding of a recent Adelaide University study, which showed a car with both rear brakes disabled could easily pass the common decelerometer brake test.
That’s despite the fact its stopping distance was increased by 30 per cent, or 8.1 metres, compared with a correctly functioning braking system.
(The test didn’t even detect that the rear brakes weren’t working!)
A further test with the front brakes limited to 66 per cent of maximum brake pressure increased stopping distance by 45.8 per cent or 12.3 metres. And did the car pass the brake test? It certainly did!
These tests were conducted as part of an in-depth study by the University of Adelaide Centre for Automotive Safety Research, with the support of the Commonwealth Government.
The study measured the ability of four brake testing methods to detect mechanical or hydraulic brake faults.
It compared the most common type of test – a decelerometer brake test – as well as a roller tester, a plate brake tester, and the stopping distance test.
As part of the research, a Safe T Stop plate brake tester was used as the only Australian designed and manufactured plate brake testing system.
Only the Safe T Stop plate brake testing system detected all the brake problems and correctly issued a ‘fail’ result every time.
Pass and fail marks were based on the minimum brake performance criteria from the NSW Authorised Inspection Scheme, similar to those in other states and territories and New Zealand.
According to the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Automotive Safety Research, “the (Safe T Stop) plate brake tester was considered to offer the most comprehensive report on a vehicle’s brakes and identified brake faults that reduced stopping power and caused left to right imbalance on either axle.”
“By measuring the front to rear brake force balance, the plate brake tester identified when the rear brakes were severely compromised, but the vehicle still provided a relatively high overall deceleration,” the study concluded.
Provide your customers with the guaranteed reassurance of safety with Safe T Stop.
With a Safe T Stop plate brake testing system, you will not only be reassuring your customers of driving a road-safe vehicle, but you will also benefit from the following.
Benefits of the Safe T Stop plate brake testing system
Safe T Stop is approved for brake testing in every Australian state and territory and New Zealand, and it comes with a 10-year warranty.
For heavy vehicle businesses and operators such as councils and transport contractors, the Safe T Stop brake test system and weighbridge provides your complete Chain of Responsibility solution.
With the versatility to be used indoors within your workshop or outdoors (it is weatherproof), the Safe T Stop brake testing plates can be installed where best suits you without taking up space and getting in anyone’s way.
So, if you’re looking to see your business thrive by keeping vehicles on the safe side, contact the Safe T Stop team today to learn more.
This article is brought to you by SafeTStop
