Enforcement data gathered from across the continent during Operation Air Brake's Brake Safety Week reveals the number of out-of-service defects for both brake adjustment and brake components are down slightly, while the overall OOS rate for brakes rose.

Brake Safety Week took place this year, September 11-17. Its importance is underscored by the fact that brakes were cited in 29.4 percent of crashes as an associate factor in the crash, according to the Large Crash Causation study conducted in 2006.

Overall results show:
- 30,872 vehicles inspected in 2011. This exceeds the 2010 mark of 30,472 vehicles, the previous record inspected, since the program started in 1998.

- 2,605 or 8.4% of vehicles were placed OOS for brake adjustment (8.9% in 2010, 9.0% in 2009).

-2,453 (or 7.9%) of vehicles were placed OOS for brake components (8.0% in 2010, 9.2% in 2009).

- 4,385 (or 14.2%) of vehicles were placed OOS for brakes overall (13.5% in 2010, 15.1% in 2009).

Canadian OOS rate were again lower than U.S. rates. This year, 8.7% of vehicles inspected in the U.S. during Brake Safety Week were placed OOS for poor brake adjustment, compared to 3.7% in Canada. Inspections in Canada resulted in 7.3% of vehicles being placed out of service for brakes, compared to 4.4% in 2010.

The Operation Air Brake Campaign was developed and initiated by Canada in 1998.

"Brakes continue to be the number one OOS defect and Brake Safety Week is a reminder of the critical importance they serve in the safe operation of commercial vehicles," said CVSA Executive Director, Stephen Keppler. "The Operation Air Brake campaign remains the premier joint effort among federal, state, and local commercial vehicle enforcement and industry to promote commercial vehicle brake safety."

Click here to learn more about Operation Air Brake.