The operation of vehicles is prohibited if:

Explanation

In both cases; both the parking brake's inability to hold the vehicle on the standard gradient and the loss of the transmission's oil-tightness.

The test of a sound parking brake is its ability to hold the vehicle on the gradient laid down by the standard; not whether the lever comes up or the ratchet clicks. If the vehicle slides on that gradient, the parking brake is defective and operation is prohibited. The importance of this system is doubled on Armenia's mountain roads: a vehicle released on a slope, with no driver and no control, moves towards the carriageway or the pavement, and its driver is not there to do anything about it. The parking brake is also the back-up to the service brake in an emergency.

The loss of the transmission's oil-tightness is independently an offence too. An oil leak creates two dangers at once: the loss of oil leads to overheating and the sudden seizure of the transmission, and oil spilled on the asphalt leaves a slippery patch that is almost invisible and extremely dangerous for a motorcyclist behind. On a downhill stretch, that same patch can nullify the braking of several vehicles.

Remember the pattern: on the list of defects, a leak from the oil or fuel systems and the failure of any braking system are each enough on their own for a prohibition and need not be accompanied by another fault.

• The parking brake's failure really does prohibit operation, but it is an incomplete answer and sets aside the transmission sealing fault. • The loss of the transmission's oil-tightness is an offence on its own too, but it is not the only item raised in the question.

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