Safety alert issued for cardan shaft parking brakes

Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency has issued a safety alert for owners and drivers of vehicles fitted with cardan shaft parking brakes.

The safety alert aims to raise awareness of the limitations of the brake mechanism, including the potential risks of parking on slopes.

Cardan shaft parking brakes (also known as driveshaft park brakes) are fitted to many small to medium trucks and a small number of passenger service vehicles. They differ from ‘normal’ parking brake systems by preventing the vehicle’s driveshaft from turning rather than directly preventing the rear wheels turning.

Four incidents involving cardan shaft brakes in New Zealand have resulted in fatalities over the past decade, including brakes fitted to road vehicles as well as off-road equipment.

A previous technical bulletin issued by WorkSafe in 2018 provided information for vehicle operators on the safe use of these brake systems and how they can fail. The Waka Kotahi safety alert provides further detail to advise owners and operators on how the brakes are designed, and what precautions to take when using them.

“Owners and drivers of vehicles with cardan shaft park brakes need to understand the brake’s designs and their limitations,” says acting director of land transport, Neil Cook.

The brake’s design means the vehicle may roll away when parked on a slope, especially if the load is changing or if the vehicle is parked on an unstable surface. Cook said drivers should avoid parking on slopes or use wheel chocks when parked on a slope and when the vehicle is jacked.

“In addition, drivers should be aware that the parkbrake lever may require more force than they are used to, especially if they don’t drive a vehicle with this type of park brake regularly. More force may also be required when the vehicle is fully laden.”

The brakes need to be serviced regularly to maintain performance.

“Owners also need to make sure that any person driving their vehicle knows it is fitted with a cardan shaft park brake and what the limitations of the brakes are.”

A more rigorous in-service check of the brakes’ performance using a roller brake machine test during sixmonthly certificate of fitness (CoF) inspections is expected to be introduced for most classes of vehicles with cardan shaft parking brakes from 1 October 2022.