Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Day will take place next week, on Sept. 7, at participating jurisdictions throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Brake Safety Day is part of the Operation Airbrake Program sponsored by CVSA in partnership with the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
CVSA says Brake Safety Day aims to improve commercial motor vehicle brake safety awareness throughout North America. Brake-related violations comprise the largest percentage of all out-of-service violations cited during roadside inspections. Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capability and increase stopping distances of trucks and buses, which pose a serious risk to driver and public safety.
Law enforcement officials will conduct full Level I inspections and Level IV brake inspections on truckers. These will include inspections of brake system components to look for loose or missing parts, leaks, worn linings, pads, drums or rotors and other faulty brake system components. Inspectors will also check antilock braking system malfunction lamps.
On May 3, CVSA held an unannounced brake safety enforcement event in which more than 9,500 commercial motor vehicles were inspected. As a result of that event, 21 percent of all inspections conducted resulted in a vehicle being placed out of service for vehicle violations of any kind and 12 percent of all inspections conducted resulted in a vehicle being placed out of service for brake-related violations.
