Improving highway safety isn’t always about what happens behind the wheel or on the road. As fleets and owner-operators across the trucking industry prepare for the annual Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) International Roadcheck program, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC offers insight on factors that affect the highway safety equation long before the turn of an ignition key: brake system upkeep; component selection and inspection; and technical know-how.
The largest targeted commercial vehicle roadside inspection program in the world, this year’s 72-hour Roadcheck takes place June 2-4, and will involve approximately 10,000 CVSA-certified local, state, provincial, and federal inspectors across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to CVSA, Roadcheck has encompassed more than 1.4 million roadside inspections since its inception in 1988, resulting in an estimated 318 lives saved and 5,840 injuries avoided.
“Without question, safer vehicles help create safer highways, and well-maintained vehicles are safer vehicles,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix director of government and industry affairs. “That’s why Bendix places such an emphasis on not just developing advanced safety technologies, but supporting fleets, drivers, and technicians with the parts, tools, and knowledge needed to keep their trucks on the road and in good working condition.”
Beginning with the Brakes
During Roadcheck 2014, nearly 19 percent of vehicles inspected were found with violations leading to them being placed out of service. Brake-related violations accounted for almost half (46.2 percent) of the total out-of-service vehicle violations. Bendix recommends a two-level maintenance approach to help ensure safety and compliance: preventive maintenance in the form of regularly scheduled vehicle review, and pre-trip visual inspections by drivers checking for obvious brake system problems such as loose hoses or leaks.
Regular and thorough brake system review should cover both components and operation:
• Examine brake linings for proper thickness and condition (no edge cracks exceeding 1/16 inch in width or 1.5 inches in length; no cracks across the lining face extending through the edges; no missing material exposing rivets or bolts)
