The results are in from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Brake Safety Week and out-of-service violations were down compared with last year’s inspection period.

Of the vehicles inspected, the OOS rate for all brake-related violations in North America was 12.3% compared with 16.2% last year. This rate drop translated to both brake adjustment and component violations, which made up 7.7% and 6.9% respectively.

Out-of-service rates are typically lower in Canada than in the U.S. which was the case again this year. The rate for OOS violations in the U.S. was 12.7% compared to 9% in Canada. The biggest disparity was in brake adjustment violations in which the U.S. had 8.2% of cases compared with just 3.7% in Canada.

The scope of Brake Safety Week also increased this year with a total of 18,817 vehicle inspections in the U.S. in Canada, up from 13,305 in 2014.

“For everyone’s safety, it’s vital that every vehicle operating on our highways and roads is mechanically sound and properly maintained,” said Scott Darling, FMCSA acting administrator. “We thank the CVSA members across North America for their longstanding strong partnership, for their professionalism and their dedication toward protecting the motoring public each and every day.”

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 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 and is part of an effort to highlight the importance of proper brake care.