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In August of 1994 the Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T.) became aware of a collision involving a well maintained five year old minivan with 79,000 miles. The collision resulted in the death of a 1½ year old child. The cause of the collision was loss of brake pressure due to vaporization of the brake fluid. Over the years other investigators within the state have occasionally suspected brake fluid failure as a possible link to the cause of certain collisions. However, there was no accident record data on motor vehicle collisions resulting from brake fluid failure, and no standardized procedure for inspecting a vehicle and identifying the cause of the collision as a brake fluid failure. The Washington State Uniform Collision Report has a classification for “defective brakes”. The category is not specific as to the type of defect in the braking system.