The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Week will be during the week of September 11-17, 2016. Law enforcement officers across North America will conduct inspections on large trucks and buses. They will be looking for out-of-adjustment brakes, and brake-system and anti-lock braking system (ABS) violations.
2015 Brake Safety Week Results
In 2015, out-of-service (OOS) violations were down during Brake Safety Week. According to a Heavy Duty Trucking article, “Of the vehicles inspected, the OOS rate for all brake-related violations in North America was 12.3 percent compared with 16.2 percent last year (2014).”
A total of 18,817 vehicle inspections took place in the U.S. and Canada, which was up from 13,305 in 2014.
The Inspection Process
Overall Inspection: Inspectors follow a seven-point plan to guide their roadside checks:
- Driver’s License
- Registration
- Low Air Warning Device
- Pushrod Travel (Adjustment)
- Brake Linings/Drums.
- Leaks and Air Loss Rate
- Tractor Protection System
Eight Brake System Checks: Inspectors focus on eight specific brake system features during their checks. However, several of them can only be conducted if trucks and trailers use tradition S-cam “drum” brakes.
- Checking the air brake mechanical components
- Checking the steering axle air brake mechanical components
- Checking the brake adjustment
- Building the air system’s pressure to 90-100 psi
- Checking the anti-lock braking system (ABS), if applicable
- Testing the air loss rate, if necessary
- Testing the low air pressure warning device
- Checking the tractor protection system
The above come from an in-depth article provided by FleetOwner.
How to Prepare for 2016 Brake Safety Week
The best way to ensure your brake system is working properly is to make preventative maintenance a priority. Please, do not try to perform brake adjustments or other brake-related tasks without having the training or experience required of a brake inspector. Not only could you potentially damage your truck, but you put yourself at risk for becoming seriously injured.
2016 Brake Safety Week Results
In total, the CVSA conducted 18,385 CMV and brake system inspections from Sept. 11-17, 2016.
According to the CVSA’s website, inspectors reported 13.2 percent of inspections with out-of-service brake violations. This is an increase compared to 2015’s 12.3 percent OOS brake-related violations.
Brake Safety Week serves as a reminder to motor carriers and drivers to take proactive steps to ensure their vehicle’s brakes are compliant, functioning properly and road safe.
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This post was updated on November 17, 2016, to include the results from the 2016 Brake Safety Week.