1. The service brakes upon any motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles, when upon dry asphalt or concrete pavement surface free from loose material where the grade does not exceed one percent, when traveling twenty miles per hour shall be adequate:

 a. To stop such vehicle or vehicles having a gross weight of less than five thousand pounds within a distance of thirty feet.
 b. To stop such vehicle or vehicles having a gross weight in excess of five thousand pounds within a distance of forty-five feet.

Attorney's Note

Under the Iowa Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Simple misdemeanorup to 30 daysbetween $105 and $855
For details, see Iowa Code§ 903.1

Terms Used In Iowa Code 321.431

  • Motor vehicle: means a self-propelled vehicle purchased or leased in this state, except as provided in section 322G. See Iowa Code 322G.2
  • Operate: means to ride in or on, other than as a passenger, use, or control the operation of an all-terrain vehicle in any manner, whether or not the all-terrain vehicle is moving. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Person: includes any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, joint adventure, or association, and the plural as well as the singular number. See Iowa Code 321H.2
  • Vehicle: means any vehicle as defined in chapter 321. See Iowa Code 321H.2
 2. Under the conditions specified in subsection 1, the hand brake shall be adequate to hold the vehicle or vehicles stationary on any grade upon which operated.
 3. Under the conditions specified in subsection 1, the service brakes upon a motor vehicle equipped with two-wheel brakes only, and when permitted under this section, shall be adequate to stop the vehicle within a distance of forty-five feet and the hand brake adequate to stop the vehicle within a distance of fifty-five feet.
 4. All braking distances specified in this section shall apply to all vehicles mentioned, whether such vehicles are not loaded or are loaded to the maximum capacity permitted under this chapter.
 5. All brakes shall be maintained in good working order and shall be so adjusted as to operate as equally as practicable with respect to the wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle.
 6. A person who violates this section commits a simple misdemeanor punishable as a scheduled violation under section 805.8A, subsection 3, paragraph “ae”.