Ban puts a break on brakes

Spokane County commissioners have a new power as of this week.

Using a state law, the body authorized itself to limit the use of compression brakes on county roads to prevent noise pollution.

Commissioners immediately created their first ban, a stretch of Harvard Road in Otis Orchards.

Spokane Valley already bans the use of the brakes along Barker Road. The city of Spokane bans them in several locations.

Compression brakes slow vehicles by moderating the engine instead of by applying force to wheels or axles. Otis Orchards resident J.J. Makool led the effort to restrict the use of compression brakes on Harvard.

Makool, a former trucker, said compression brakes should be used to control rigs going downhill. But he believes truckers on Harvard are using them, despite the road’s flatness, because they’re overloaded or speeding. He blames truckers from a nearby trucking company and drivers who use Harvard to avoid going through the port of entry on Interstate 90.

“They’ve turned our road into a drag strip,” Makool said. “It’s ruined the quality of life in our neighborhood.”

John Harris, who owns Sunrise Trucking on Harvard, disputes that his drivers speed or have overloaded vehicles. He said his drivers use compression brakes because they mostly drive in town, requiring them to brake more often.

“Regular brakes get too hot. The cooler you can keep your brakes, the more braking power you have,” he said. “It’s a safety issue.”

Harris added that using compression brakes saves his company money because the more often regular brakes are used, the more often they have to be replaced.

Still, “we’ll live by whatever we have to live by,” Harris said.

County commissioners unanimously approved the ban.

County Engineer Bob Brueggeman said the affected area along Harvard is mostly residential. Emergency vehicles will be exempt from the rule.

The three people who testified at Tuesday’s hearing on the issue supported the ban. Harris said he would have testified against the rule had he known about it. Brueggeman said two large signs were posted on Harvard alerting people to the proposal.

Drivers caught breaking the brake law will face a $250 fine for a first offense, $500 for the second and $750 for a third.