More than 5,000 trucks were placed out of service during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Brake Safety Week in 2022.
In the hopes of reducing that number this year, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has released a list of practical tips for being prepared, staying safe and passing inspection that truck owners and service providers can use ahead of Brake Safety Week 2023, set for Aug. 20-26.
“Out-of-service violations are situations that present actual hazards to roadway safety for the drivers and everyone around them – and so many of these violations are preventable through proper maintenance practices and regular equipment examination,” says Fred Andersky, Bendix director – demos, sales, and service training. “Brake Safety Week is an industry touchpoint for good reason: What goes on at the wheel-ends and in the braking system is critical to so many aspects of safe vehicle operation, including optimal performance of today’s higher-level safety systems like full stability and collision mitigation. You simply can’t overstate the importance of keeping up with maintenance and inspection of those areas.”
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Brake Safety Week is part of CVSA’s Operation Airbrake initiative — an outreach and enforcement campaign that aims to reduce the number of highway crashes caused by faulty brake systems on commercial motor vehicles. The event involves local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials in the United States, Canada, and Mexico inspecting large trucks and buses, focusing on brake system violations.
Last year the 5,059 trucks placed out of service represented 13.3% of the 38,117 commercial motor vehicles inspected across the United States, Canada, and Mexico during the annual weeklong event.
Brake Safety Week roadside inspectors conduct North American Standard Inspections, which cover a range of driver qualifications, documentation, and vehicle equipment conditions. Trucks will be checking for:
