WASHINGTON — In the U.S., of the 34,402 commercial motor vehicles inspected during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safey Week, 4,664 (13.6%) were placed out of service (OOS).
Commercial motor vehicle inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. conducted 38,117 inspections of commercial motor vehicles Aug. 21-27 for Brake Safety Week, according to a CVSA news release.
Of the total number of the commercial motor vehicles inspected, 13.3% were placed out of service for brake-related critical vehicle inspection item violations. That also means that nearly 87% of the commercial motor vehicles inspected throughout North America during Brake Safety Week did not have brake-related critical vehicle inspection item violations.
“The inspections conducted during Brake Safety Week are no different from the inspections conducted any other day of the year,” the news release stated. “During the week, inspectors compiled and then submitted brake-related data to the Alliance for compilation, analysis and release.”
Fifty-three Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions and Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transportation participated in this year’s Brake Safety Week, which is a voluntary brake-safety inspection and enforcement initiative.
Broken out by country, inspectors in Canada inspected 1,975 commercial motor vehicles and placed 351 (17.8%) out-of-service for brake-related violations. In Mexico, 1,740 commercial motor vehicles were inspected. Forty-four (2.5%) were placed out of service.
Also, inspectors identified and documented 6,305 brake hose/tube chafing violations, which are a common brake-related violation and was the focus area for this year’s Brake Safety Week. Inspectors reported brake hose chafing violations in four different categories, with varying levels of chafing severity, including two which were out-of-service violations.
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 their PBBT test – a 7% out-of-service rate. PBBTs, 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, independent of brake type or application method.
During Brake Safety Week, inspectors primarily conducted the North American Standard Level I or Level V Inspection, the news release stated.
Both inspection levels include thorough examination of brake systems and components.
Inspectors will look for:
- Missing, non-functioning, loose, cracked or broken parts, such as spider castings, return springs, brake drums or rotors, brake shoes, linings or pads and slack adjusters.
- Contaminated linings or pads, non-manufactured holes in spring brake housings, S-cam flip-over and audible air leaks.
- Mismatched brake chambers on an axle, security of air reservoirs, condition of hoses and lines, air pressure in the system, the breakaway device, tractor protection system, pushrod travel and brake-system warning devices.
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.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
