26301-26311

VEHICLE CODE
SECTION 26301-26311




26301.  Any motor vehicle first registered in this state after
January 1, 1940, shall be equipped with power brakes if its gross
weight exceeds 14,000 pounds, except that any such vehicle having a
gross weight of less than 18,000 pounds may, in lieu of power brakes,
be equipped with two-stage hydraulic actuators of a type designed to
increase braking effect of its brakes.



26301.5.  Every passenger vehicle manufactured and first registered
after January 1, 1973, except motorcycles, shall be equipped with an
emergency brake system so constructed that rupture or leakage-type
failure of any single pressure component of the service brake system,
except structural failures of the brake master cylinder body or
effectiveness indicator body, shall not result in complete loss of
function of the vehicle's brakes when force on the brake pedal is
continued.



26302.  (a) Every trailer or semitrailer, manufactured and first
registered after January 1, 1940, and having a gross weight of 6,000
pounds or more and which is operated at a speed of 20 miles per hour
or over shall be equipped with brakes.
   (b) Every trailer or semitrailer manufactured and first registered
after January 1, 1966, and having a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or
more shall be equipped with brakes on at least two wheels.
   (c) Every trailer or semitrailer manufactured after January 1,
1982, and equipped with air brakes shall be equipped with brakes on
all wheels.
   (d) Brakes required on trailers or semitrailers shall be adequate,
supplemental to the brakes on the towing vehicle, to enable the
combination of vehicles to comply with the stopping distance
requirements of Section 26454.
   (e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any vehicle
being used to support the boom or mast attached to a mobile crane or
shovel.


26303.  Every trailer coach and every camp trailer having a gross
weight of 1,500 pounds or more, but exclusive of passengers, shall be
equipped with brakes on at least two wheels which are adequate,
supplemental to the brakes on the towing vehicle, to enable the
combination of vehicles to comply with the stopping distance
requirements of Section 26454.



26304.  (a) Power brakes on any trailer or semitrailer manufactured
after December 31, 1955, operated over public highways and required
to be equipped with brakes shall be designed to be automatically
applied upon breakaway from the towing vehicle and shall be capable
of stopping and holding such vehicle stationary for not less than 15
minutes.
   (b) Every new truck or truck tractor manufactured after December
31, 1955, operated over public highways and used in towing a vehicle
shall be equipped with service brakes capable of stopping the truck
or truck tractor in the event of breakaway of the towed vehicle.



26305.  Any auxiliary dolly or tow dolly may be equipped with
brakes.


26307.  No forklift truck manufactured after January 1, 1970, shall
be towed behind another vehicle unless it is equipped with brakes on
the wheels of the rearmost axle when the forklift truck is in the
towing position, which brakes shall be adequate, supplemental to the
brakes on the towing vehicle, to enable the combination of vehicles
to comply with the stopping distance requirements of Section 26454.




26311.  (a) Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with service
brakes on all wheels, except as follows:
   (1) Trucks and truck tractors manufactured before January 1, 1982,
having three or more axles need not have brakes on the front wheels,
except when such vehicles are equipped with at least two steerable
axles, the wheels of one such axle need not be equipped with brakes.
   (2) Any vehicle being towed in a driveaway-towaway operation.
   (3) Any vehicle manufactured prior to 1930.
   (4) Any two-axle truck tractor manufactured prior to 1964.
   (5) Any sidecar attached to a motorcycle.
   (6) Any motorcycle manufactured prior to 1966. Such motorcycle
shall be equipped with brakes on at least one wheel.
   (b) Any bus, truck, or truck tractor may be equipped with a manual
or automatic means for reducing the braking effort on the front
wheels. The manual means shall be used only when operating under
adverse road conditions, such as wet, snowy, or icy roads.
   (c) Vehicles and combinations of vehicles exempted in subdivisions
(a) and (b) from the requirements of brakes on all wheels shall
comply with the stopping distance requirements of Section 26454.