I've contributed my tuppence ha'penny on a thread on
The Reg involving new collision avoidance systems in development.
My rant was about the curse known as
Hom-Dai ie: Tilt brakes here's a C & C of my comment.
Quote:
Safety features bah. What was wrong with throwing an anchor out of the window ?
The end result of the extra safety features is people relying on them to cover their own stupidity.
As for my title... I drive a 44 tonner. Our company has installed trailer "tilt brakes" on various new trailers and they are a downright hazard. The system is not designed to stop a vehicle falling over because if that situation arises then it's already too late. It's to stop pallets falling over in the trailer. I guess some highly intelligent (read Brain dead) person figured that to reduce kinetics just apply the brakes. I'm sure you can visualise that jamming the brakes on the trailer whilst the unit is trying to accelerate out of a roundabout actually INCREASES kinetics. And do the brake lights come on ? I don't know, I'm trying to haul this thing up to speed not stop it practically dead mid roundabout.
Continuing on this (sorry), as a driver that HAS put a vehicle on it's side (M62-J26) anything that affects the natural (expected) balance is quite frightening ( I was accelerating away from roundabout with a copper following me, turn up slip road to join M62 east and a suspension airbag on drive axle gave way = defective drivers mirror (Lorry laying on it)).
Another example when I first discovered my trailer had these brakes fitted was when dropping off the A45 eastbound at coventry onto the southbound A46. There is a "no-stop" slip lane and as my vehicle went round it at about 38mph which was easily comfortable it suddenly felt like the trailer was tipping over (remember, I know what that feeling is like) so I immediately held it straight which meant running onto the roundabout and risking collision. I didn't know what was wrong and figured some really heavy pallets must of fallen over although I never heard a sound. On arrival at our depot (I'm a trunker driver to our own depots) at Taunton I said to the guys on the bay that I think some pallets must have fallen over behind the partition (frozen section). They came out later and said everything was ok. It was at that point another driver said "Oh yeah, that'll be the new tilt brakes, Orrible aint they"?
Whilst I can dig some improvements (disc brakes etc) ANYTHING that takes control away from driver is a danger.
Anyone here had these on a trailer ?
What's your views on them ?
I personally think they are downright dangerous.
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