§ 39-21-32 — Brake equipment required

North Dakota § 39-21-32

• Jurisdiction: North Dakota
• Title 39: Motor Vehicles
• Ch. 39-21: Equipment of Vehicles

Text

1. Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, when operated
upon a highway must be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of
and to stop and hold such vehicle, including two separate means of applying the
brakes, each of which means must be effective to apply the brakes to at least two

wheels. If these two separate means of applying the brakes are connected in any way,
they must be so constructed that failure of any one part of the operating mechanism
does not leave the motor vehicle without brakes on at least two wheels.
2. Every farm tractor, motorcycle, and motor-driven cycle, when operated upon a
highway, must be equipped with at least one brake, which may be operated by hand or
foot.
3. Every trailer or semitrailer when operated upon a highway at a speed in excess of
twenty-five miles [40.23 kilometers] per hour must be equipped with safety chains or
brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and to hold such vehicle and
so designed as to be applied by the driver of the towing motor vehicle from its cab, and
said brakes must be so designed and connected that in case of an accidental
breakaway of the towed vehicle the brakes are automatically applied.
4. One of the means of brake operation must be parking brakes adequate to hold the
vehicle on any grade on which it is operated, under all conditions of loading, on a
surface free from snow, ice, or loose material. The parking brakes must be capable of
being applied in conformance with the foregoing requirements by the driver's muscular
effort or by spring action or by equivalent means. Their operation may be assisted by
the service brakes or other source of power provided that failure of the service brake
actuation system or other power-assisting mechanism will not prevent the parking
brakes from being applied in conformance with the foregoing requirements. The
parking brakes must be so designed that when once applied they remain applied with
the required effectiveness despite exhaustion of any source of energy or leakage of
any kind. The same brakedrums, brakeshoes and lining assemblies, brakeshoe
anchors, and mechanical brakeshoe actuation mechanism normally associated with
the wheel brake assemblies may be used for both the service brakes and the parking
brakes.