Analysis of Brake Failure Causes and How to Save Yourself in Critical Moments

Several recent traffic accidents have once again brought large trucks into the public's view. A large truck driving at night lost control of its brakes and rushed towards roadside shops and pedestrians, almost causing injuries. In Wenshan, a truck's brake failure led to a collision involving nine vehicles, fortunately without any casualties.

▎Truck driver experiences life-and-death speed when brakes fail on a downhill

This was an accident that occurred this summer. At the time, a large truck fully loaded with construction debris lost control due to brake failure on a long downhill stretch.  

Furthermore, during the descent, due to inertia, the front of the truck had already tilted forward, making the scene extremely tense. At the critical moment, the truck driver decisively jumped out of the vehicle, staging a truck version of a life-or-death speed moment.  

▎A large truck with brake failure crashes into a supermarket; a shopper narrowly escapes death.

The incident took place in Lishui City. An aunt who was shopping at a fruit stand suddenly made a move and ran away because a large truck hit a wall panel and directly crashed into the supermarket. The reason was that the truck's brakes failed, making it uncontrollable. From the video, you can see the vehicle charging straight into the area where fruits are displayed in the supermarket. Luckily, the shopping lady ran fast; otherwise, it would have been a real scene of 'Final Destination.'  

Among all traffic accidents, brake failure in large trucks is the most likely to cause accidents, and once an accident occurs, it usually results in serious injury or death. This clearly shows the importance of brakes for large trucks. Many truck drivers know how crucial brakes are, but frequent incidents of brake failure leading to accidents, and even the death of truck drivers, still serve as a warning.  

● How Brakes Work  

As a saying goes, to understand what something is, you must understand its rationale. Many drivers don’t know the braking principle of large trucks.  

Even though trucks still use drum brakes, in fact, no matter the method, the principle is the same: when you press the brake pedal, it activates a lever, which then drives the brake pump. The brake disc and brake pads generate braking force through friction, preventing the truck from moving forward.  

▎ Common Causes of Brake Failure

Since all card friends have already understood the basic working principle of brakes, you can understand in daily life why certain behaviors can lead to brake failure, but in critical moments, they can affect your safety.

1. Constantly pressing the brake

As the fellow card friends above have already understood, most trucks still use drum brakes. Drum brakes are low cost, but they have one major drawback, which is poor heat dissipation. On a small car, this kind of drum brake doesn’t show much difference.

However, when generally applied to a large truck, the problem of poor heat dissipation becomes obvious, because large trucks require longer braking distances and stronger braking force. Frequent braking causes the brake pads to overheat and fail, which is a common issue in brake failure.

2. Trucks exceeding speed and weight limits

If brake pads suddenly fail, there may still be some uncontrollable reasons, but brake failure caused by trucks being overloaded or speeding is 100% a man-made disaster. This is why truck drivers are strongly advised not to overspeed or overload. Excessive wear on the vehicle's lifespan, leading to parts aging and damage, will naturally increase the risk of problems.

3. Insufficient Routine Maintenance

Very few truck drivers carefully check the brakes every time before setting off. They often can't even keep up with regular maintenance, let alone perform daily checks, which may seem tedious. Little do they realize that this kind of carelessness can cause a loss of control over the vehicle at critical moments, leading to serious consequences.

To do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools—truck drivers understand this principle. Brakes and seat belts can truly save lives at crucial moments. Spending a few minutes checking them regularly, and developing the habit of periodic maintenance, can prevent a lot of trouble.
 

4. Bad Driving Habits

Many truck drivers believe they can adhere to the previous three points: they do not overload, do not speed, and strictly follow traffic regulations without frequent lane changes. They also pay attention to regular maintenance.

However, the last point is bad driving habits. The difference between an experienced driver and a newbie often comes down to this. Many people will make a bunch of excuses, but there is actually a very simple way to tell: cautious veteran drivers never take their foot off the brake pedal.
 

Always maintaining control of the vehicle is a good driving habit among experienced drivers. Young drivers or those with less experience often have a sort of fearless enthusiasm, like a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger, and can go up to 100 mph, never stopping at 99 mph.  

As soon as they get on the road, they completely forget about keeping a safe distance and start letting themselves loose. In an emergency, they might slam the accelerator to the floor, and if the brake pads suddenly fail, the consequences are unimaginable. Good driving habits are the foundation for ensuring safety on the road.  

▎How to save yourself if a truck's brakes fail  

Truck drivers need to understand one thing: even if you do everything in advance, you cannot avoid accidents 100% of the time. Although brake failure is a low-probability event, the worst-case scenario is still frightening. So if a truck's brakes really fail, how should you save yourself?
 

1. Stay Calm

Many truck drivers feel as if death has arrived when they realize their brakes have failed, especially in busy urban areas or on the highway. At this moment, the most important thing is to stay calm; otherwise, the mind goes blank, and misjudgments of the road situation due to the emergency can lead to failed evasive actions. You must calm down first, rather than immediately slamming the steering wheel or honking the horn wildly.

2. Gently pull the handbrake, downshift to slow down

It was mentioned above not to honk the horn wildly. In fact, it doesn't mean you should completely avoid honking, but rather not to honk frantically at first. First, gently pull the handbrake and downshift to reduce speed. The engine also provides some reverse thrust, which can effectively slow down the vehicle at critical moments. As long as the speed is reduced, the truck driver will have better control of the vehicle.
 

3. Look for an emergency lane or a safe area

While downshifting and slowing down, the truck driver also needs to do one more thing: carefully observe the surrounding road conditions, looking for an emergency lane or a safe area to avoid danger. On the highway, the vehicle can first be driven into the emergency lane to avoid a collision. If there is an open space nearby, or areas like painted zones that can serve as a safe limit, they can also be used.
 

4. Looking for Obstacles

Of course, it is not always possible to successfully find a safe window to avoid danger in all road conditions. At this time, truck drivers can only use the last method: driving the vehicle along walls or guardrails to pass obstacles, which can also help reduce speed through friction. However, it must be emphasized that this is the last method and should be avoided if possible, as this approach also poses potential dangers to truck drivers.

Brake failure in a truck may seem like a low-probability event, but improper handling can easily cause injury to the truck driver. To fundamentally prevent such accidents, the most important thing is to develop good driving habits and conduct regular inspections. Preventing accidents is far more important than dealing with them after they occur.4. Looking for Obstacles

Of course, it is not always possible to successfully find a safe window to avoid danger in all road conditions. At this time, truck drivers can only use the last method: driving the vehicle along walls or guardrails to pass obstacles, which can also help reduce speed through friction. However, it must be emphasized that this is the last method and should be avoided if possible, as this approach also poses potential dangers to truck drivers.

Brake failure in a truck may seem like a low-probability event, but improper handling can easily cause injury to the truck driver. To fundamentally prevent such accidents, the most important thing is to develop good driving habits and conduct regular inspections. Preventing accidents is far more important than dealing with them after they occur.