{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-189.090","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 189.090","heading":"Brakes.","body":"(1) No owner shall knowingly operate or permit to be operated on a highway a motor\nvehicle upon which the brakes are defective.\n(2) Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, when operated upon a highway shall\nbe equipped with brakes adequate to control the  movement of and to stop and hold\nthe vehicle. There shall be two (2) separate means of applying the brakes, each of\nwhich means shall be effective to apply the brakes to at least two (2) wheels. If the\ntwo (2) separate means are connected in any way, they  shall be so constructed that\nfailure of any one (1) part of the operating mechanism shall not leave the motor\nvehicle without brakes on at least two (2) wheels.\n(3) (a) Except for commercial motor vehicles with a declared gross vehicle weight of\nmore the ten thousand (10,000) pounds, the service brakes upon any motor\nvehicle or combination of vehicles shall be adequate to stop the vehicle when\ntraveling twenty (20) miles per hour within a distance of forty (40) feet when\nupon dry asphalt or concrete pavement surface free from loose material where\nthe grade does not exceed one percent (1%).\n(b) Under the conditions described in subsection (3)(a), the hand brake shall be\nadequate to stop the vehicle within a distance of fifty -five (55) feet and the\nhand brake shall be adequate to hold the vehicle stationary on any grade upon\nwhich it is operated.\n(c) Under the conditions described in subsection (3)(a), the service brakes upon a\nmotor vehicle equipped with two (2) -wheel brakes only shall be adequate to\nstop the  vehicle within a distance of forty (40) feet and the hand brake\nadequate to stop the vehicle within a distance of fifty-five (55) feet.\n(d) All braking distances specified in this section shall apply whether or not the\nvehicles are loaded to the maximum capacity permitted by law.\n(e) All brakes shall be maintained in good working order and shall be so adjusted\nas to operate with equal effect with respect to the wheels on opposite sides of\nthe vehicle.\n(4) A person shall not operate any commercial motor veh icle with a declared gross\nweight of over ten thousand (10,000) pounds on any highway in this state unless it\nis equipped with efficient brakes that meet the federal motor carrier safety standards\nin 49 C.F.R. pt. 393 and may be operated by the operator of the vehicle.","path":["KRS Chapter 189"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=6306","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:51:41Z","sha256":"19fe1fb5b8db3bfbce4dce0aedba6f79661da600851b58f1455a81d52b4ef20f","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-189.080","next":"us-ky/krs-189.095"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}