Inspectors will be out in full force from Sept. 15-21 as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week.
Throughout that week, officials will conduct roadside inspections on commercial motor vehicles throughout North America. This year, CVSA inspectors will focus on brake hoses/tubing. Commercial vehicles found to have critical brake violations will be placed out-of-service (OSS) until repairs are made.
“All components of the brake system must always be in proper operating condition,” said CVSA President Chief Jay Thompson of the Arkansas Highway Patrol. “Brake systems and their parts and components must be routinely checked and carefully and consistently maintained to ensure the health and safety of the overall vehicle.”
Last year, inspectors placed nearly 5,000 of over 35,000 commercial vehicles it inspected out-of-service as part of CVSA’s Brake Safety Week.
More than 1,600 of the 10,358 commercial vehicles were placed out-of-service for critical brake violations during CVSA’s unannounced brake inspection blitz on May 15.
According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data, the five top brake-related violations include:
- Clamp or roto type brake out of adjustment
- Automatic brake adjustment system that fails to compensate for wear
- Brake hose or tubing chafing and/or kinking
- No or defective ABS (anti-lock braking system) malfunction indicator lamp for trailers manufactured after March 1, 1998
- Inoperative or defective brakes
Brake Safety Day and Brake Safety Week are part of the Operation Airbrake program sponsored by CVSA in partnership with FMCSA and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators.