North Dakota § 39-21-32 - Brake equipment required

§ 39-21-32. Brake equipment required

1. Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, when operated upon a highway must be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold such vehicle, including two separate means of applying the brakes, each of which means must be effective to apply the brakes to at least two 2. 3. 4. wheels. If these two separate means of applying the brakes are connected in any way, they must be so constructed that failure of any one part of the operating mechanism does not leave the motor vehicle without brakes on at least two wheels. Every farm tractor, motorcycle, and motor-driven cycle, when operated upon a highway, must be equipped with at least one brake, which may be operated by hand or foot. Every trailer or semitrailer when operated upon a highway at a speed in excess of twenty-five miles [40.23 kilometers] per hour must be equipped with safety chains or brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and to hold such vehicle and so designed as to be applied by the driver of the towing motor vehicle from its cab, and said brakes must be so designed and connected that in case of an accidental breakaway of the towed vehicle the brakes are automatically applied. One of the means of brake operation must be parking brakes adequate to hold the vehicle on any grade on which it is operated, under all conditions of loading, on a surface free from snow, ice, or loose material. The parking brakes must be capable of being applied in conformance with the foregoing requirements by the driver's muscular effort or by spring action or by equivalent means. Their operation may be assisted by the service brakes or other source of power provided that failure of the service brake actuation system or other power-assisting mechanism will not prevent the parking brakes from being applied in conformance with the foregoing requirements. The parking brakes must be so designed that when once applied they remain applied with the required effectiveness despite exhaustion of any source of energy or leakage of any kind. The same brakedrums, brakeshoes and lining assemblies, brakeshoe anchors, and mechanical brakeshoe actuation mechanism normally associated with the wheel brake assemblies may be used for both the service brakes and the parking brakes.