More than 5,000 trucks were placed out of service during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Brake Safety Week, held Sept. 11-17; about 2,400 for brake violations (13.2 percent of all the trucks inspected) and about 2,700 (14.8 percent) for other reasons.
A total of 18,057 inspections were conducted, according to the CVSA. According to the alliance, inspections included brake-system components to identify loose or missing parts; air or hydraulic fluid leaks; cracked, damaged or worn linings, pads, drums or rotors; and other faulty brake-system components.
Anti-lock braking system malfunction indicator lamps were also checked for compliance by inspectors during the week.
Of the trucks inspected, 1,481 (8.8 percent) of ABS-required, air-braked trucks were found to have ABS violations, and 1,436 (8.8 percent) of ABS-required, hydraulic-braked trucks were found with ABS violations.
Brake Safety Week is part of the Operation Airbrake Program sponsored by CVSA in partnership with FMCSA and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators.
“Brakes must be routinely checked and properly maintained to ensure the safety of the commercial motor vehicle, the CMV driver and everyone else on the road,” said CVSA President Julius Debuschewitz of Yukon Highways and Public Works. “Although brake inspections are a part of the Level I inspections conducted by our hard-working CMV inspectors every day, Brake Safety Week is an opportunity to remind motor carriers and drivers of the importance of brake health and safety, and it provides the opportunity for our inspectors to conduct targeted and focused inspections to identify and remove commercial motor vehicles that have brakes with critical violations from our roadways.”
