A total of 2,369 vehicles were placed out of service brake-related violations during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's annual Brake Safety Week Aug. 22-29.
That amount equals 15.3% of the total of 15,528 vehicles inspected in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
In the U.S. 14,165 vehicles were inspected and 2,134 placed out of service for brake-related problems.
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Fifty-one jurisdictions participated in this year’s Brake Safey Week.
Most of the inspections completed on Brake Safety Week were North American Standard Level I Inspections, accounting for 91% (14,150 inspections) of all inspections conducted during the seven-day campaign. A Level I Inspection is a thorough 37-step procedure that examines the driver’s operating requirements and assesses the vehicle’s mechanical fitness.
During the brake portion of a Level I Inspection, inspectors check air brake mechanical components, such as: brake adjustment, slack adjusters, linings, pads, return springs, brake chambers and cam shafts. This includes steering axle components.
They also check air pressure and air loss, the tractor protection system, air tanks, tubing, hoses and fittings, breakaway and parking/emergency braking, and the anti-lock braking system.
This year, inspectors provided violation data for drums and rotors, the focus for this year’s brake safety initiative. There were 141 drum and rotor violations, resulting in 64 vehicles being placed out of service.
Inspectors placed 1,176 vehicles out of service that met the 20% defective brake criterion of the North American Inspection Out-of-Service Criteria. This means that 20% or more of the vehicle’s, or combination of vehicles’, service brakes had an out-of-service condition.
In addition, there were 92 out-of-service violations for steering axle linings and 119 for other steering axle conditions, 145 out-of-service violations for air loss rate, and 600 out-of-service violations for brake hoses/tubes.
Inspectors cited 759 other out-of-service brake violations, which may include tractor protection system, air tanks, parking/emergency/breakaway brake, low-air warning device, hydraulic brake or electric brake violations, etc.
Twelve U.S. jurisdictions with performance-based brake testers (PBBT) conducted 657 inspections utilizing the PBBT. Twenty-nine (4.41%) vehicles failed to meet the required 43.5% minimum braking efficiency rate and were placed out of service. U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and CVSA’s North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria require a minimum braking efficiency of 43.5%.
Next year’s Brake Safety Week is scheduled for April 18-24, 2027.
