• These checks require the assistance of a person to operate the vehicle controls.

• Use chocks to prevent accidental movement of the vehicle.

• Observe manufacturer's shut-down instructions before switching off the engine (e.g. to avoid turbo-charger damage).

Checks and reasons for rejection

• Start the engine and charge up the braking system until the low pressure warning device turns off. Apply the brake several times until the low pressure warning device activates.

• A visual or audible warning device connected to the brake system does not provide a warning to the driver when the air pressure is lowered to less than the following levels, unless the manufacturer specifies a different level:

• 420 kPa (60psi) for ADR 35 vehicles
  
• 350 kPa (50psi) for pre-ADR 35 vehicles

Roads

The total length of roads in KwaZulu-Natal is 25,600 km. This includes 1,147 km of the road network in the eThekwini Metro area and 1,138 km of national routes. 6,656 km are surfaced and 18,943 km are gravel.

The main national routes are the N3 (Durban to Gauteng), N2 South (Durban to Kokstad) and the N2 North (Durban to Pongola). The N3 to Gauteng is the busiest road freight corridor in South Africa, carrying a volume of over 1.5 million vehicles per year on the Durban to Pietermaritzburg section. The authorities charged with the maintenance of provincial roads face the continual challenge of maintaining the condition of roads with limited funds, in spite of increasing usage.

The combined effect of national policies of deregulation of road transport, commercialisation of rail, increased legal axle-mass loads and gross combination mass of heavy vehicles has resulted in a continual shift of cargo from rail to road transport. This results in an increase in road damage, accidents, congestion and gas emissions.
The situation is aggravated by endemic overloading of heavy vehicles which, though better controlled in KZN than the rest of the country, has negative consequences for the life of the roads in the province.

The cumulative effects of increasing road usage and accumulated deficits in the funding of road maintenance are felt by all road users in terms of increased vehicle operating costs. The deteriorating condition of roads in KwaZulu-Natal is a cause for grave concern as it contributes to rising costs, inflation and increasing accident rates. It is noteworthy that the Department has in recent years, placed considerable emphasis on the development of roads in remote rural areas and is in the process of upgrading several major provincial roads such as the P700 route to Ulundi and the P496 John Ross Highway from Empangeni to Richards Bay .

It will in the near future be critically necessary to reassess the provision of road infrastructure between the N3 corridor and the Port of Durban as increasing congestion and delays are having a negative impact on the efficiency of the logistics system surrounding the port.

Advanced Lubricant Technology

Low Friction Engine & Drive Train Lubricants commonly known as synthetic engine oil and synthetic transmission & drive train lubricants, these synthetic products can improve fuel efficiency by as much as 3% by reducing friction between parts. Synthetic lubricants are designed to withstand the extreme pressures of the engine, transmission and drive train better than traditional oils. In addition to increased fuel efficiency, synthetic engine lubricants reduce wear and increase maintenance intervals.

Check exhaust system

• component of the exhaust system is not securely mounted;

• The exhaust system contacts any unrelated part of the vehicle;

• Exhaust pipe outlet is not rearward of all rear passenger doors or sleeper compartment;

• There is any leak in the exhaust system (excluding manufacturers’ drain holes in the mufflers);

• catalytic converter is missing, bypassed or has a missing heat shield.

Check headlight aim using a headlight tester

• the aim of the headlight is adjusted such that, when on high beam and measured at an effective distance of 8m, the projected centre of the beam is to the right of the headlight centre and/or is above the headlight centre;

• when measured at an effective distance of 8m, any part of the top edge of the high intensity portion of the low beam pattern is above and to the right of the centreline of the headlight;

• the headlight high beam indicator light is not operating

Check electrical equipment

1. Electrical wiring or connectors are corroded, damaged, bare live wires (except earth wire) or hanging loose in a way that could allow it to be damaged;
2. Electrical wiring is located where it can:
   
• become exposed to excessive heat;
• come into contact with moving parts;
• come near a fuel system to cause a fire hazard.

1. Batteries are not securely mounted, leak or are situated in an occupant space.

Check tyres

1. wear indicators are built into most tyres to indicate when tread depth reaches about 1.5mm. The depth of the tyre tread above these indicators is not included in the assessment of tread depth around the circumference of a tyre.
2. In effect, these requirements allow a tyre to be worn to less than 1.5mm tread depth on its edges, provided that at least 75% of the remaining width of the tyre has a minimum tread depth of 1.5mm around the whole circumference.
3. The overall diameter of dual tyres on the same side of an axle is not matched within 25 mm;
4. A tyre (including sidewalls) has deep cuts, chunking, bumps, bulges, exposed cords or other signs of carcass failure;
5. A tyre has been regrooved (except where indicated on the side wall that the tyres are suitable for regrooving);
6. When in the straight ahead position, the wheels and tyres and fittings (wheel nuts, grease caps etc) of any vehicle project beyond the extreme width of the mudguards or exceed the maximum width of a vehicle;
7. Any tyre is not of a type constructed for unrestricted road use;
8. Any retreaded or remoulded tyre is not marked with the words "RETREAD" or "REMOULD", and where speed limited the words "MAX. SPEED XX KM/H" or "SPEED LIMITED TO XX KM/H". (XX means the max speed i.e. 125km/h);
9. A tyre fitted to a vehicle with a GVM of more than 4.5 tonnes is not suitable for road use at:

Check steering components under the bonnet and under the vehicle

1. Any steering component is missing, cracked or broken;
2. Any threaded or tapered joint is loose;
3. Any freeplay due to wear in a balljoint exceeds manufacturer’s specifications. Where these are not known or are no longer appropriate, the freeplay exceeds 3mm;
4. Any steering component can be seen to have been repaired or modified by heating or welding;

Check fifth wheels/turntables

• Where ADR 62 applies, the fifth wheel/turntable does not display the manufacturer’s name/trademark, nominal size (eg 50mm) and the gross mass rating;

• The mating parts of a coupling used to connect a semi-trailer to a towing vehicle allow the semi-trailer to roll to an extent that makes the towing vehicle unstable (eg quick release turntable fitted to a ballrace turntable);

• The top and bottom mounting flanges have insufficient effective fasteners (eg ballrace);

• Fasteners either side of the mounting frame, plate or pivot brackets are insufficient or ineffective;

• Fifth wheel/turntable mounting plate or sub frame assembly securing bolts are missing, broken or loose, or the fasteners are "U" bolts;

• There is movement between the fixed mounting components;

• is more than 5 mm horizontal movement between:

Safety Belt Enforcement Programs

• Occupant Protection Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs (sTEPs) involve periods of highly visible safety belt law enforcement combined with extensive media support. These programs are a proven method to rapidly change motorists' safety belt use behavior. Successful Occupant Protection sTEPs have been documented in Canada, Europe, and the United States.

• visible enforcement of safety belt laws is a core strategy to increase safety belt use. States and communities have greater success in achieving increased safety belt use when there is strong enforcement of the law, along with effective media support.27 This strong enforcement of safety belt laws sends the message that the State takes safety belt use laws seriously. Ultimately, this leads to greater compliance.

• Click It or Ticket (CIOT) model has been enormously successful in increasing safety belt use at the community, State, and regional level. This nationwide initiative, a partnership involving NHTSA, the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign, and hundreds of law enforcement agencies, increased national belt use by four percentage points in 2003.28 Safety belt use increased again in 2004, reaching an all-time high of 80 percent.

• Many jurisdictions in the United States have adopted Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), a system designed to delay full licensure while allowing beginners to obtain their initial experience under lower-risk conditions. There are three stages: a minimum supervised learner's period, an intermediate license, and a full-privilege driver's license after successful completion of the first two stages. A strong GDL system will include education and enforcement of safety belt laws. For example, in North Carolina, the GDL law includes a provision for violations of GDL restrictions that includes safety belt infractions; a conviction extends the interim licensing period for six months from the time of the violation.

Going Home for the Playoffs

When their 16-year-old son Gabriel missed his Friday night curfew, Charles and Maureen Puccia started to fear the worst. They wouldn’t know for hours that Gabe had died with two teenage friends in a crash earlier that night.

Gabe’s night started out without much of a plan. He and some friends were supposed to meet at a pancake house, but only a few people showed up. That’s when Gabe and others headed home to watch the playoffs. None had been drinking, and they had only two miles to drive. But 17year-old Matt was going about twice the speed limit when the car veered off the road and hit a tree.

Gabe’s parents had to make several calls just to get the news.“He had one of those little earrings in his ear, and a special jacket he had bought in Italy,” Charles recalls. “And the guy at the hospital said,‘I think we have your son.’ Our grief is for Gabe’s loss, not our own — to not know what we could have done for him and to not watch him find whatever it was he wanted in life.”
Now the Puccias focus on their younger son, Emilio.“This is a case where we’re willing to go all the way, enforcing the graduated licensing law to the utmost and beyond.”

Visually inspect fuel lines, joints and connections Reasons for rejection

1. where the vehicle body or chassis members do not provide protection for fuel lines under the vehicle, the piping is not shielded or encased in a protective sleeve;
2. the sleeving of any fuel line routed under the vehicle is damaged such that the fuel line is exposed;
3. any supporting clips (required to be spaced at intervals of 600mm) are missing or do not provide effective support to the fuel line;
4. any provision has been made to allow use of the gas fuel for purposes other than as automotive fuel.

Visually inspect the LPG/NGV or CNG container

1. The container is removable without the use of tools from any vehicle other than those specified below:
2. fork lift trucks;
3. vehicles which do not use LPG/NGV or CNG as a means of propulsion;
4. diesel engine enhancement systems;
   

1. The container has:

• advanced corrosion or fire damage;
• cuts or dents which penetrate the surface of the container;
• any dent on the container which is deeper than 10% of the width of the dent, or which is located on a weld and exceeds 6.5mm in depth;
• any dent or crease on the container which is longer than 75mm;
  

1. the statutory life of the container has expired.

NOTE: It is a statutory requirement for an LPG/NGV/CNG container to be checked for continued service life:

• LPG every ten years
• NGV steel containers every five years
• CNG steel containers every five years
• fibreglass reinforced plastic (frp) containers every three years
  

1. the boot lid torsion bars, coil springs or hinges contact the container;
2. the container and its surface mounted fittings are not protected from damage by vehicle component (e.g. tail shaft) failure;
3. where mounted within a cargo space the container is not protected from impact from cargo or other objects carried in that area, i.e. it is not installed within an enclosed protective compartment;
4. the container or its gas carrying components are located within 150mm of a heat source and there is no heat shield;
   

NOTE: This may be reduced to 40mm if the shield is more than 15mm from a gas carrying component.

1. the container is incorrectly aligned so that it impedes access to the container service valve;
2. the container is incorrectly aligned so that it impairs the operation of the ullage valve or the automatic fill limiter (AFL);
3. Where containers installed on or after 1 July 1988 have a wall thickness marked to be less than 2.2mm:
   

• the container is not installed within a protective compartment;
• the container is located less than 75mm from the side panels of the vehicle;
• the container is not marked "This vessel shall be installed within a compartment inside the vehicle".

Check trailer brakes and breakaway protection

1. For trailers with a gross trailer mass (GTM) in excess of 2 tonnes, the trailer service brakes do not operate immediately the trailer service hose coupling or connection is disconnected from the towing vehicle and do not remain fully applied for at least 15 minutes;
2. A truck trailer interconnecting flexible hose and coupling is not properly mated or secured;
3. For trailers with a GTM in excess of 2 tonnes the trailer brakes are not capable of being applied and released from the normal driving position;
4. Any trailer having brakes which are air or vacuum assisted is not fitted with a reservoir that is protected by a check valve;
5. Any trailer having brakes which are air or vacuum assisted is not built to provide a visible or audible warning to the driver of the towing vehicle, while the driver is in a normal driving position, of a lack of air or vacuum.

Check vacuum assisted brake system integrity

• With vacuum depleted from the system and with moderate steady force applied, the brake pedal does not travel towards the floor when the engine is started;

• If the vehicle is fitted with a low vacuum indicator, the indicator does not activate at a vacuum level of 25 kPa or more;

• With the engine stopped, one application of the service brake with a moderate pedal force results in the low vacuum indicator coming on;

• If a trailer is connected to the motor vehicle, the trailer vacuum brakes cannot be applied from the normal driving position;

• A brake pedal that is held depressed while the engine is running, tends to rise when the engine is stopped;

• Vehicle is not fitted with at least one vacuum storage reservoir or tank;

• reservoir or tank for vacuum is not protected by a check valve;

• Vacuum is not available as soon as the engine starts, or build up time to reach the low vacuum mark (to deactivate the warning device) is longer than 30 seconds;

• Time taken for vacuum to reach normal working level when the vacuum reserve is fully depleted is longer than 60 seconds;

• The vacuum warning device (if fitted) does not deactivate when the low mark is reached;

• The loss of vacuum from its maximum indicated level exceeds 125mm Hg in 10 minutes when the engine is stopped;

• With the engine stopped and vacuum at its maximum indicated level, the vacuum gauge reading does not fall progressively with every application of the service brake;

• the engine stopped, there is insufficient level of vacuum to allow at least two assisted service brake applications.

Check noise emissions

NOTE: This section must be read in conjunction with Appendix B6 - Sound level meters.

Reasons for rejection

1. Any noise reducing or absorbing equipment is missing.

NOTE: Changes to the original design of the engine, fuel system, air inlet system, or exhaust system all have the potential to affect compliance of the vehicle with noise standards. Where any such modifications have been carried out a noise test may be necessary to ensure that the vehicle complies with the exhaust noise limits. Such modifications could also affect compliance with exhaust emission requirements.

Check mirrors

Reasons for rejection:

1. Any reflective surface of a compulsory rear view mirror:

• has a missing section;
• is cracked;
• is deteriorated;
• is obscured;
• where fitted to the right side, does not have a flat surface of at least 150cm2 (it may also incorporate a curved portion).
  

1. Mirrors are not securely mounted or missing;
2. Any compulsory left side mirror does not have a reflecting surface of at least 150 cm2;
3. 3. Any compulsory mirror does not provide a clear view of the road to the rear of the vehicle.

Check seats

Reasons for rejection

• Seat frames or attaching points are loose, cracked, broken or have fasteners missing;

• Adjustment mechanisms do not work properly or any securing device does not hold the seat in the selected position;

• Any seat has an exposed sharp edge or other parts that protrude due to damage.

Check exterior body panels and fittings

Reasons for rejection

• Exterior body work including mudguards, bullbars, roof racks etc on a vehicle have exposed sharp edges (including corrosion or accident damage) that could injure a person who comes into contact with that part of the vehicle;

• Mudguards are not properly fitted to provide protection over the full width of the wheels and tyres and any mudguard does not extend inboard over the full width of the tyre/s (except where part of the body of the vehicle acts as a mudguard);

• The bottom edge of mudguard and/or mudflap at the rear of any vehicle is higher off the ground that 1/3 of the horizontal distance between the centre of the axle and the mudguard;

• Spray suppression devices are not fitted to ‘B’ Double combinations in accordance with Rule 33 Australian Vehicle Standard Rules or in those states that have granted exemption (eg: WA);

NOTE: This height must not be more than 230 mm, or 300 mm for a tipper type of vehicle.

• Any motor vehicle which is 2.2 m or more in width and fitted with a body which is less than 300 mm in height at the rear, measured from the lowest point of the body above the ground to the highest point, does not have the rear face of any rear mudguards silver or white in colour;

• The rear coaming of any vehicle described in above is not silver or white in colour for a depth of 75 mm or more;

NOTE: Rule (d) and (e) do not apply when a vehicle is correctly fitted with rear marking plates.

• Any aftermarket fitting attached to the exterior of the vehicle that could cause injury to a person coming into contact with that part of the vehicle.

Check steering components under the bonnet and under the vehicle

• Any steering component is missing, cracked or broken;

• Any threaded or tapered joint is loose;

• Any freeplay due to wear in a balljoint exceeds manufacturer’s specifications. Where these are not known or are no longer appropriate, the freeplay exceeds 3mm;

• Any steering component can be seen to have been repaired or modified by heating or welding;

NOTE: Except where an original component has been fitted by the manufacturer or repairs have been conducted to manufacturer’s specifications.

Any nut, bolt or locking device is missing or insecure;

• The pitman arm is loose on the steering output shaft;

• The steering system is not designed to transmit energy by mechanical means only. (Power assisted steering systems are acceptable.);

• The power steering pump has loose mounting bolts or cracked or broken mounting brackets, braces or adaptors, or is inoperative;\

• Power steering pump pulleys are cracked, broken or loose;

• Power steering pump belts are loose, cracked through to reinforcing plies, extensively frayed or missing drive sections;

• Integral power steering assemblies or power assist cylinders leak more than one (1) drop every 30 seconds;

Many Organizations Support Strong Safety Belt Laws for Teens

Many organizations have joined with NHTSA to help increase safety belt use among teens because they realize that by doing so, thousands of lives will be saved and millions of injuries will be prevented. These organizations include:

• 4-H
• AAA
• Advocates for Highway/Auto Safety
• Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign
• American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association
• American School Health Association
• Aspira Association, Inc.
• Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety
• Bacchus and Gamma Peer Education Network
• Brain Injury Association
• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Children's Safety Network
• Circle K International
• Emergency Medical Services for Children
• Emergency Nurses Association/Emergency Nurses CARE
• Family, Career and Community Leaders of America
• Farm Safety 4 Just Kids
• Governors Highway Safety Association
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
• Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving
• Maternal and Child Health Bureau
• National Association of School Resource Officers
• National Association of Teen Institutes
• National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
• National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
• National Commission Against Drunk Driving
• National Criminal Justice Association
• National Peer Helpers Association
• National Parent Teachers Association
• National SAFE KIDS Campaign
• National Safety Belt Coalition/National Safety Council
• National Student Safety Program
• Network of Employers for Traffic Safety
• Recording Artists, Actors & Athletes Against Drunk Driving (RADD)
• RADD Kids/Team RADD
• Remove Intoxicated Drivers
• family with buckle up america, every trip, every time logoThe State and Territorial Injury revention Directors' Association
• Street Law, Inc.
• Students Against Destructive Decisions
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Think First Foundation
• United National Indian Tribal Youth
• U. S. Department of Education
• U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
• U. S. Department of Justice
• Youth of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety
• YMCA of the United States of America

Going Home for the Playoffs

When their 16-year-old son Gabriel missed his Friday night curfew, Charles and Maureen Puccia started to fear the worst. They wouldn’t know for hours that Gabe had died with two teenage friends in a crash earlier that night.

Gabe’s night started out without much of a plan. He and some friends were supposed to meet at a pancake house, but only a few people showed up. That’s when Gabe and others headed home to watch the playoffs. None had been drinking, and they had only two miles to drive. But 17year-old Matt was going about twice the speed limit when the car veered off the road and hit a tree.

Gabe’s parents had to make several calls just to get the news.“He had one of those little earrings in his ear, and a special jacket he had bought in Italy,” Charles recalls. “And the guy at the hospital said,‘I think we have your son.’ Our grief is for Gabe’s loss, not our own — to not know what we could have done for him and to not watch him find whatever it was he wanted in life.”

Now the Puccias focus on their younger son, Emilio.“This is a case where we’re willing to go all the way, enforcing the graduated licensing law to the utmost and beyond.”

Auxiliary Power Unit

APU’s provide a larger array of comfort features for drivers looking to reduce idling. APU’s can provide heat, air conditioning, power for household electrical devices and engine heat. Most devices combine a small heater, a compressor for air conditioning and an alternator. APU’s may be powered by diesel fuel directly from the tractor fuel tank, or by a bank of rechargeable batteries. Diesel driven APU’s can operate for 5 hours or more on a single gallon of diesel fuel. Costs for these devices can range from $3500 to $9000, but are typically in the $6000 to $7000 range. For a partial list of manufacturers and device specifications, please visit the SmartWay website at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/smartway/idlingtechnologies.htm. For locomotives APUs automatically shut down the main locomotive engine idle while maintaining all vital main engine systems at greatly reduced fuel consumption.

Onboard Monitoring – FOT

Based on the results of the “Onboard Monitoring to Improve Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety” effort, this FOT will involve approximately 20 instrumented vehicles and approximately 40 drivers to determine whether onboard monitoring and feedback (real-time and delayed) can improve commercial motor vehicle driver performance and safety. It is envisioned that the technology suite will provide driver performance feedback on a number of critical safety factors including hours of service, lane keeping, steering and pedal inputs, safety belt usage, following distance, turn signal use, and hard braking and hard steering events.