USAF feels Oleg's pain

[Azimech]

Keep in mind the pneumatic brake system of a truck is very complex and redundant, with two pressure gauges which a driver is trained to check and act upon. All (competent and awake) drivers will stop the truck before the brakes kick in, at a safe location with opportunity to warn the traffic behind him. I had to learn this stuff.

If a car loses all power and starts braking, it could be at an unsafe spot, without emergency and brake lights. That could lead to utter disaster, especially on a dark, wet road (in a corner, on a downwards slope, etc.)

Even if the system has some kind of a capacitor and warns the driver before the brakes kick in, a lot of people ignore warning lights, interpret them wrong or simply have no clue what it means. My mother is notorious. If I didn't fill up her engine oil every now and then, she called me with the message that a combination of four lights (yes, the Citroën BX does that) came on during corners. Zero oil pressure. I've explained to her a dozen times what it means, that the manual is in the glove compartment, the oil in the trunk and how to fill up the engine. She just doesn't want to remember I guess. Finally I gave up and just bought her a different BX that doesn't use oil at all.