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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Out-of-service orders decline during CVSA brake blitz

 

The number of commercial vehicles ordered out of service for brake-related violations in North America during an annual enforcement campaign fell by almost 4 percent compared to last year, according to figures released by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance on Thursday.

Inspectors from participating agencies inspected 18,817 vehicles throughout the 2015 Brake Safety Week, and placed 2,321 commercial vehicles out of service for brake violations.

Of the vehicles inspected, the OOS rate for all brake-related violations conducted in North America was 12.3 percent, compared to 16.2 percent from last year’s Brake Safety Week. In addition to the number of total brake-related violations resulting in an out of service order, this year’s rates for brake adjustment and brake component OOS violations also declined. The brake adjustment OOS rate fell to 7.7 percent, compared to 10.4 percent in 2014. The OOS rate for brake components was 6.9 percent, down from 9.3 percent in 2014.

According to CVSA, out-of-service rates for Canadian jurisdictions are historically lower than those in U.S. jurisdictions. The agency reports state:

Brake adjustment violations – 8.2 percent in the U.S. vs. 3.7 percent in Canada
Brake component violations – 6.9 percent in the U.S. vs. 6.2 percent in Canada
Total brake violations – 12.7 percent in the U.S. vs. 9 percent in Canada

A total of 1,457 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, roughly 7.7 percent of all vehicles inspected, were placed out of service for brake adjustment in 2015, a decline of nearly 3 percent compared to the rate of 10.4 percent in 2014.

A total of 1,292 or 6.9 percent of vehicles were placed OOS for brake components, again down nearly 3 percent compared to a rate of 9.3 percent in 2014.

CVSA-certified commercial motor vehicle safety inspectors conducted brake-system inspections on large trucks and buses throughout North America during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week, Sept. 6-12.

During the week-long brake safety campaign, local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials throughout the United States and Canada conducted roadside inspections to identify out-of-adjustment brakes and brake-system violations.

“Brake-related violations comprise the largest percentage of all out-of-service violations cited during roadside inspections,” CVSA president Maj. Jay Thompson with the Arkansas Highway Police said in the release. “Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce braking capacity and increase stopping distance of large trucks and buses, which poses serious risks to driver and public safety.”

Roadside inspections conducted during Brake Safety Week included inspection of brake-system components to identify loose or missing parts; air or hydraulic fluid leaks; cracked, damaged or worn linings, pads, drums or rotors; and other faulty brake-system components. Inspectors also checked anti-lock braking system (ABS) malfunction indicator lamps, inspected brake components and measured pushrod stroke, where applicable.

Brake Safety Week is part of the Operation Airbrake Program sponsored by CVSA in partnership with FMCSA and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA).