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Brake test records
Roller brake, decelerometer or electronic brake-performance reports kept with the inspection.
This is general information for UK goods-vehicle operators. It is not legal advice. Use the official source on this page, and your operator licence conditions, before you rely on it.
What it is
The Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness expects every safety inspection to include a brake performance assessment. That can be a roller brake test, a suitable electronic braking performance monitoring system (EBPMS), or a decelerometer with temperature readings. A laden roller brake test can be done up to 14 days before the inspection if the report is given to the inspector. Where EBPMS is not used, the guide expects at least four laden brake tests spread across the year, which can include the annual test. A risk assessment is expected when a laden test is not carried out.
Who holds it
The operator keeps the printout or recorded results with the vehicle’s safety inspection file. The person who reviews the inspection has to understand the report, not only file it.
At a visit
Examiners ask to see brake test reports alongside the inspection sheets. A pass at annual test does not replace the assessments between tests. Missing printouts are treated as missing inspection evidence.
How long to keep it
Brake test reports form part of the safety inspection and maintenance record. The Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness says those records must be kept for at least 15 months.