| Author |
Message |
Jayjay (152.163.252.163)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 8:21 am: | |
Does anyone have the H.B.# attached to the Jake Brake Light Law? After dinner last night with B.&B. Phelan, I had another near miss due to someone using a jake in heavy traffic. The problem stems from the fact that jake application does not activate the brake lights. Congress H.B.number???? is supposed to require the addition of a switch wired to the jake mechanism, so that when it's used, the brake lights come on. After this second near miss for me, I feel I must support this sorely needed safety measure. Yes, there was extensive damage to 3 vehicles, and very light damage to mine and one other, caused by deceleration after dark, with no brake lights. The motorhome driver was charged with no brake lights, and using the jake inside city limits. Drivers that struck him from behind were not cited. Hooray for the Cop for showing good sense. Cheers...JJ |
Derek (24.85.245.203)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 10:16 am: | |
Don't want to be the one to rub sodium on the open laceration, but while the brake lights shoulda been activated, I would've been far enough back and paying enough attention to his/her vehicle speed to adjust and slowdown and or stop in time.
However not activating the brake lights on a jake application is against the law, and it's there for a reason, so I say go for it. |
Legal Eagle (63.190.104.51)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 10:53 am: | |
Derek;
I believe in most states it is " a minimum of one vehicle length per 10 miles per hr."
The violation for this is usually, C&I "careless and imprudent vehicle operation "
With 5 vehicles in a accident, in all probablities these days, at least one was useing a cell-phone.
A attorney can easily verify this. |
H3JIm (68.105.103.139)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 11:08 am: | |
A jake only slows, its not like slamming on the brakes. A slowing vehicle should be easily seen, especially if its big.
Having said that, Jakes should activate the brake lights (mine does), and my isn't it easy for me to sit here and monday morning quarterback it. |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.34)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 11:09 am: | |
This is the first time I have ever heard of jakes being hooked up to the brake lite switch. It sounds like a good idea, but if it is only a proposed law I don't know how the RV driver was held liable for no brake lights.
--Geoff
'82 RTS CA |
BrianMCI96A3 (198.81.26.45)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 11:45 am: | |
When did it become standard practice to hook jakes up to the brake light switch?
The proposed law sounds like a good idea, but if this is something that is mandated who is going to supply the kits necessary to retrofit thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of trucks and busses?
Brian |
H3JIm (68.105.103.139)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 12:53 pm: | |
Mine came wired that way from the factory. 1995 Prevost. Maybe vehicles of a certain age and newer have that setup? |
Ron Yoo (Roksly) (68.39.178.194)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 2:26 pm: | |
Here in New Jersey all the new mci buses have this. I don't recall the old 9's to have this. |
CaSteve (208.19.54.107)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 4:38 pm: | |
If that rv driver has a good insurance company, they will have that police officer's judgement in their cross hairs and fault the second driver in the line-up for following too close and causing an accident. When a standard transmission is downshifted, the brake lights do not come on and downshifting cannot be the cause of an accident. That said, now, who can tell me how to rig my jakes to my brake lights because, law or not, I do agree with the safety issue? CaSteve |
jim mci-9 (209.240.205.60)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 5:17 pm: | |
depending on how its set up, the jakes on some series 60 dd's will not apply till the brake pedal is touched...and on some others, it comes on anytime the accelerator is released....depends on how the programming is done in the DDEC....don't know about cat or cummins...as for mechanical engines, i don't know of any interface between jakes and brake lights.... |
H3JIm (68.105.103.139)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 6:16 pm: | |
My Jakes work whenever I let up off the accelerator.
Jakes are electrically operated, so a method on how to do would be to add a relay for the lights, operated off the Jake circuit. |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.34)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 7:30 pm: | |
If you wanted to hook the jakes to the brake lights you would need a diode, or use a relay like H3Jim says. Simple hook-up, really. I've seen diode wiring sold by the people that sell tow bars and wiring kits, and off-road light relays are available at any auto parts store. |
jim mci-9 (209.240.205.60)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 8:08 pm: | |
a simple magnetic switch would work.... |
dougthebonifiedbusnut (24.62.99.43)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 8:16 pm: | |
Having been in the heavy trucking industry for over twenty years and never ever had a jake wired to a stop light Im a little angerd by one more thing that is having to be done so that the inattention of drivers is somehow going to be fixed by adding another cost of operation. This is the same stupidity that had the industry put icc bumpers on the back of all trucks and trailers because some jerk was reading the newspaper and found himself ceraniumless underneath a semi trailer. One more example of how noone is responsible fro what they do its always someone elses fault.This doesnt just make me a little angry it5 %$#*ing pisses me off |
BrianMCI96A3 (69.34.169.42)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 8:34 pm: | |
While I also agree with the idea of having the jake illuminate the brake lights when they are applied, I am not sure I'd want my jakes to apply only when the brake pedal is applied.
It seems to me the additional .5 of a second (if you are fast) of engine braking BEFORE your foot even hits the brake pedal, might be the difference between a wreck and a close call in some cases.
Since my brake lights are LED's I might be able to forego the relay, but will probably install one just the same, and wire it into the micro switch on the throttle stop.
Brian |
jim mci9 (209.240.205.60)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 8:57 pm: | |
if i remember correctly it was stephens transport that was set up to where you had to tap the brakes to make the jakes function....dunno their reasoning...but it made test driving a vehicle interesting... we'd come back in after a drive.. and ask how to get the jakes to work... |
RJ Long (Rjlong) (66.229.97.200)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 9:19 pm: | |
FYI, several transit systems in CA are now using an interesting light module on the rear of their coaches. It consists of two amber LED lamps on either side of the "normal" Cyclops brake light just above the engine compartment access.
These amber lamps flash alternately back and forth quite quickly whenever the driver releases the accelerator completely and the bus begins to slow down, alerting anyone following the coach that something's going on. IIRC, they stop flashing approximately 5 seconds or so after the regular brake lights are activated. They go out immediately if the driver steps on the throttle again, even if he never touches the brakes.
Since a Jake brake is activated by some type of switch, either a microswitch on an MUI engine, or w/in the computer on the electronic ones (based on throttle position), it would probably be quite easy to integrate these lights into that circuitry, should one want to.
I'll check some of my transit publications, and see if I can find a source. . .
HTH,
RJ
PD4106-2784
Fresno CA |
Derek (24.85.245.203)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 10:28 pm: | |
There are some RTS's running around here with that same function, amber lights... I haven't paid much attention, but they're there and seem to do that..
Here being Vancouver BC. |
BrianMCI96A3 (69.34.169.42)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 10:49 pm: | |
Hmmm, RJ, that gives me a thought, I was planning on installing a cyclops type LED stop lamp, but I have a 24 Volt LED amber lamp similar in concept to what you describe, it's 7x9 with 124 LEDs.
Ought to grab the eye!
Brian |
Jayjay (152.163.252.163)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 11:05 pm: | |
RJ, many of the transits here in Ft. Myers are using the same system, and a few taxis as well.
The driver of the Monaco (with a huge SUV toad) was in the center of three lanes, of bumper to bumper. Accelerated for a short distance away from a traffic light, then actuated the jake to slow for a lane change. The toad got hit and then everybody started bouncing off each other due to the swerves started with the first impact. No injurys, except some sheet metal, and a few egos I imagine. Lots of vacation money for the attorneys out of this one. The Monaco driver should have gotten one more citation, just for being stupid. Oh... Legal Eagle, BTW, it's against the law to use a cell phone while driving in Florida. Cheers...JJ |
Phil (204.89.170.126)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 30, 2004 - 8:16 am: | |
On my Monaco, the brake lights are activated anytime the exhaust brake is applied. The exhaust brake applies if the accelerator is released and teh e-brake switch is on. I like the fact that the brake lights come on but it also means that the lights are on all the way down steep declines which lessens the effectiveness of the lights when you actually apply the brakes for a true stop. |
justforfun (208.19.54.105)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 30, 2004 - 11:58 am: | |
O K, I'm ahavin trouble gettin' this. There's uh post up yonder bout on star and theze posts bout jakes and ima tryin to see how they can be putt tagether. Are ya'll sayin that I shudn't bea drivin my bus down the grapevine without a warm beer tween my legs whildst usin the jakes and totaly trustin the other turists to not hit me in the rear causin I aint runnin brake lightin? Well ya'll can jus kiss my butt, cuz I ainta changin, and, by thu way, my ol lady dont spit chew in my beer ever since I blacked bother eyes fer doin it----twice. |
WunToofTim (67.136.98.116)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 30, 2004 - 3:36 pm: | |
So will y'all clararify this fur me, did y'alls ol lady spit in y'alls beer twice, or did ya blacked both er eyes twice to, or did ya do boaf, I jus plum run outa fengurs to werk this owt fur myself. Woz this an test? |
Robert Wood (Bobwoodsocal) (4.63.41.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 30, 2004 - 6:15 pm: | |
HAHAHAHAHAHA |
Jayjay (152.163.252.163)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 31, 2004 - 1:06 am: | |
3,723 really great comedians out of work in this land , and we get stuck with these guys...Sheeeesh!!! Hey |@n...I love this bunch. Keep up the entertaimnent kids! Cheers...JJ |