Nearly 1,600 Trucks Hit with Violations on CVSA Brake Safety Day

The results from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s unannounced Brake Safety Day earlier this year show that 1,595 vehicles were placed out of service for brake violations.

The event took place on April 25 when 52 U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions conducted 11,531 roadside inspections on commercial motor vehicles. All told, 13.8% of the inspections ended in an out of service violation, about the same as for Brake Safety Day event held in September of last year.

The aim of Brake Safety Day is to improve commercial vehicle brake safety awareness throughout North America. The safety initiative involves educating drivers, mechanics, owner-operators, and others on the importance of proper brake inspections, maintenance, and operation.

The majority of inspections, 10,074, were conducted in the U.S., where the out of service rate was at 14%. The rate was slightly lower in Canada at 12.4%  for 1,457 inspections.

Many participating jurisdictions also surveyed anti-lock braking system compliance. Of the inspected vehicles, 8,128 air-braked trucks were identified as requiring ABS and of that number, 10.2% had ABS violations. Of the 5,331 trailers that were identified as requiring ABS, 14.3% had ABS violations. There were 1,299 hydraulic-braked trucks that required ABS with 3.5% having ABS violations.

"Inspecting, identifying and removing commercial motor vehicles with brake violations from our roadways is critical to the safety of the traveling public," said Capt. Christopher Turner with the Kansas Highway Patrol, CVSA president. "Brake systems that are improperly installed, neglected or poorly maintained reduce braking efficiency and increase stopping distances of trucks and buses, posing a serious transportation safety risk."

CVSA will soon be holding another brake-focused inspection event, Brake Safety Week, an annual outreach and enforcement campaign, on Sept. 16-22 in participating jurisdictions in North America.

Related: Get Your Brakes Ready for Roadcheck