Texas Brake Performance Requirements

Texas Driving Brake Requirements

A motor vehicle, or combination of Texas vehicles, must be equipped with service brakes capable of developing a braking force that is not less than 52.8 percent of the gross weight of the vehicle for a passenger vehicle or 43.5 percent of the gross weight of the vehicle for a vehicle other than a passenger vehicle. About 76.3 percent of people who read this failed physics in high school so they won’t understand what it means. Exactly 100 percent of the statistics in the previous sentence are completely made up.

In Texas, the service brakes must also be capable of decelerating to a stop from 20 miles per hour or less at not less than 17 feet per second for a passenger vehicle or 14 feet per second for other vehicles. When testing for deceleration or stopping distance, it should be done on a dry, smooth, hard surface that is free of loose material and does not exceed plus or minus one percent grade.

A vehicle required to have brakes by the Texas Transportation Code (TTC), other than “special mobile equipment,” must be equipped with service brakes that comply with the performance requirements of the TTC and are adequate to control the movement of the vehicle, such as stopping and holding, under all loading conditions and when on any grade on which the vehicle is operated. 

A vehicle required to have brakes by this subchapter shall be equipped so that one control device operates the service brakes.  Any brakes in good working order on any vehicle a person is legally allowed to operate shouldn't have any problems with this law

If your braking system did not work properly and you hit someone, you can take our Texas Driving Safety Course to dismiss that ticket!