Roughly nine of 10 trucks passed Brake Safety Week

Nearly nine out of 10 commercial motor vehicles pulled over during Brake Safety Week in August had no brake-related critical violations.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance organizes the annual Brake Safety Week, which was Aug. 21-27. The CVSA is a nonprofit organization of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal commercial motor vehicle safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In August, there were 38,117 inspections conducted. Of the total number of commercial vehicles inspected, 13.3% were placed out of service, according to a CVSA news release.

Here is the breakdown by country.

Inspectors identified and documented 6,305 brake hose/tube chafing violations, which is a common brake-related violation and was the focus area for this year’s Brake Safety Week.

During Brake Safety Week, inspectors primarily conducted the North American Standard Level I or Level V Inspection. Both inspection levels included an examination of brake systems and components.

Trucks were placed out of service if any part of the fabric or steel braid reinforcement ply was frayed, severed or cut through. In Canada, 12% of those found with brake hose or tube chafing violations were placed out of service. In Mexico, 15% of those with the hose or tube violations were placed out of service because of it, and in the U.S., 19%.

In addition, 11 jurisdictions with performance-based brake testers assessed the braking performance of 392 commercial motor vehicles during Brake Safety Week. Twenty-nine commercial motor vehicles failed this test – a 7% out-of-service rate. The brake testers, based on mechanical or electronic decelerometers, assess the overall vehicle braking capability through a stopping performance test in which deceleration and/or stopping distance is obtained that is independent of brake type or application method, CVSA explained.

Vehicles that did not have any vehicle and driver out-of-service violations during a Level I or Level V Inspection may have received a CVSA decal, which is a visual indicator (valid for three months) to inspectors that the vehicle was recently inspected and had no critical vehicle inspection item violations.

Next year’s Brake Safety Week

Brake Safety Week is part of CVSA’s Operation Airbrake program, in partnership with the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, and Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transportation.

CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program plans to hold two brake safety campaigns in 2023:

• The next Brake Safety Week is scheduled for Aug. 20-26.
• There also will be an unannounced one-day brake safety enforcement initiative, which may take place at any time.

CVSA also conducts the annual International Roadcheck inspection blitz. The 2022 Roadcheck campaign was May 17-19, and nearly 94% of the drivers subjected to the inspection were cleared of any out-of-service violations. LL