A defect notice has been issued after a trailer was found to have slack adjusters that the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) says were “deliberately bent.”
The heavy vehicle was intercepted at a heavy vehicle inspection station in NSW, where an NHVR safety and compliance officer checked the vehicle.
According to the NHVR, “The slack adjusters had been deliberately bent to increase ground clearance. With this level of damage, it wouldn’t have been long before they snapped – meaning the brakes would no longer be functional, putting both the driver and other road users in a really dangerous situation.
“Bending the slack adjusters has weakened them significantly. There are cracks at the bend point which is also the weakest point due to the hole.
“When the brakes are applied, there is significant force on them from the brake chambers, and as you can see in these photos, all the push rods connecting the brake chambers to the slack adjusters are now not in alignment, which may lead to a reduction in mechanical force also applied to the brakes.
“If any of the slack adjusters break at the bend point, then that brake is no longer functional. A heavy load/emergency brake situation could see all of them snap – which could have catastrophic consequences.”
A defect notice was issued for the trailer, however no penalty was issued to the driver or the company.
The NHVR says any driver who feels pressured to drive a defective vehicle can contact the Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line on 1800 931 785 for support.
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